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Scientists have come up with a new nasal spray which can boost the memory. A study proves that a quick inhalation of the nasal spray just before going to sleep helps in retaining the memory while sleeping. But, wait, there is a condition for the spray to be effective; one has to have a good night of rest.
The spray, which was developed at the University of Lubeck in Germany, makes use of interleukin 6, which is an immune system molecule.
The researchers tested it on 17 healthy young men who spent two nights sleeping in a laboratory. The testers were asked to read a short story in the night after which the fluid was sprayed on to their nostrils. These fluid contained interleukin-6 or a dummy liquid. They were then monitored.
In the morning, they were asked to write down as many words from the short story as they could.
Thos who were given interleukin-6 spray showcased a better performance, by recollecting more words of the short story, than others who were sprayed the dummy fluid.
The molecule seems to work during REM sleep, while the brain sorts the previous days’ memories. The researchers have not been able to find out the mechanism behind this. They have also not been able to find out how long the effect lasts.
The results have been published in the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology journal.
