Mouse

A Case Study of Memory Loss in Mice

by Michael S. Hudecki
Department of Biological Sciences
University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Memory Loss in Mice

A biochemist, Eugene Roberts, and researchers at the City of Hope Medical Ctr. [in Duarte, California] discovered that injecting fragments of a brain protein called beta-amyloid into the brains of mice caused the mammals to forget chores they had just been taught [J.F.Flood et al. Amnestic effects in mice of four synthetic peptides homologous to amyloid B protein from patients with Alzheimer disease. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., USA, 88(8):3363-6, Apr 91]. "This is really the first correlation between the presence of [beta-amyloid] in the brain and the loss of memory," said Rachael Neve, a molecular biologist at U. California at Irvine.


Please read the above abstract of an article in the New York Times and prepare a short written response addressing each of the following questions. Use space at the back of this sheet.

  1. State in concise terms the problem being investigated.
  2. Describe the details if any of the experimental method apparently used in this study.
  3. Describe any pertinent results that originate from the study.
  4. What specific conclusions can you draw from this study?


Date Posted: 08/07/01 nas

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