The popular blood-boosting, performance-enhancing drug erythropoeitin, or EPO, improves memory:
The researchers injected mice with EPO every other day for three weeks to test the long-term impact of the drug. Mice given EPO had better memory in some situations than the animals given a placebo.The better memory lasted up to three weeks from the last dose but disappeared after about a month. Mice given one dose a week had no benefit.
The specific improvements were associated with the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in learning and memory, among other things, the researchers said.
“Young mice systematically treated with EPO for three weeks have improved memory, similar to the dramatic improvements observed in endurance and muscular performance athletes who use EPO to boost performance,” Ehrenreich said in a statement.
EPO treatment seemed to increase the transmission of certain nerve impulses in the brain, resulting in greater short-term and long-term memory. The improvements in memory were not linked to boosted blood production.
The findings may help lead to potential drug targets that could treat neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia, the researchers said.