Memory-enhancing drugs

Abstract

This chapter reviews a range of pharmacological treatments that enhance memory formation. Notably, many drugs that enhance memory do so by acting at receptors of hormones or neurotransmitters and are effective when administered near the time of training. Of particular interest are the demonstrations that the drugs act when administered soon after training, in experiments using a posttraining design that distinguishes effects on memory from effects on non-mnemonic factors such as motivation or sensory-motor functions. Much of the attention given to understanding the molecular bases of memory has focused on interfering with signaling cascades downstream from neurotransmitter receptor activation, attributing memory impairments to substrate mechanisms by which memories are made. Additionally, consideration of the molecular biology that underlies enhancement of memory may prove to be a fruitful area of research.