Mysteries of Memory

New research explores how the brain records and then recalls events.
By Jeneen Interlandi | NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 13, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Sep 22, 2008

It's no trivial matter. One of the most devastating effects of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (expected to afflict 14 million Americans by 2040) is the loss of what's known as episodic memory—the capacity to remember experiences in detail. Despite years of research and some initial progress, the ability to restore this function to aging or diseased brains continues to elude doctors. But research published earlier this month in the journal Science has provided some important clues into how the brain builds memories......read the whole article