Health & Medicine

Methylene Blue Memory Enhancer: Effective For Emotional, Sensory, Visual Responses, Too!

Michael Finn
First Posted: Jul 02, 2016 05:19 AM EDT

Methylene Blue could improve brain activity in patients suffering from short-term memory loss and short attention span. Based on the journal published in Radiology, a single oral dose of methylene blue may result in an increased MRI-based response in brain areas that control short-term memory.

With the use of MRIs, the team of doctors led by Dr. Timothy Duong, measured brain activity of 26 healthy participants, between the ages of 22 and 62, under rigorous mental tasks. The subjects underwent MRIs both before and an hour after taking Methylene Blue to gauge the difference in brain activity during memory-related tasks, Science Daily reported.

After a series of sustained attention and short-term memory activities, the subjects exhibited an increase in brain activity after taking methylene blue. Through a seven percent surge in correct answers when it comes in retrieving memories, scientists found out that the chemical regulates specific brain networks associated with emotional responses, memory and the ability to distinguish sensory and visual information, Psychiatry Advisor learned.    

Previously, animals subjected under a single low dose of methylene blue displayed enhanced long-term contextual memory, which is the conscious recall of the source and circumstances of a specific memory. The animal studies also focused on the animals' extinction memory, which is a process where a conditioned response from stimuli gradually diminishes over time.

Duong, however, continued the breakthrough while tackling the aspects of brain activity that is responsible for short-term memory and sustained attention; now testing the methylene blue on humans through the first multi-modal MRI.

Methylene Blue according to Dr. Duong has a bright future ahead of this treatment. He stated that this work can certainly provide a firm foundation for future trials that will involve methylene blue, especially in the areas of healthy aging, dementia, cognitive impairment, and other conditions which may positively benefit from drug-induced memory enhancement ingredient.

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