Chimakurthy J, Murthy T. 2012. Effect of Curcumin on Statin Induced Short Term Memory Loss. Journal of Pakistan Medical Students 2: 53-57

The importance of this investigation is to examine how curcumin affects rosuvastatin-induced short-term memory loss. Corcumin raises brain serotin levels ,and serotin plays an important role in short term memory. Rosuvastatin is an oral drug for lowering blood cholesterol levels. This investigation utilized rats and placed them in various sample groups in order to study rosuvastatin-induced memory loss. The control group only contained corcumin. On the other hand, the other group received corcumin in different concentrations and rosuvastatin in the same concentration. The negative control received only rosuvastatin. This treatment lasted 14 days. The evaluation came after the treatment. This included a runway panel that was made of a box with three divisions. The rats were placed at the starting point and observed to see how long it took them to cross the doors of the compartments. The investigators concluded that the rats that had only rosuvastatin took longer to cross the second and the third door. In contrast, the rats that were given curcuvin and rosuvastatin demonstrated took less time to cross the second and the third door. From this finding, it was inferred that latency to reach the goal was an indicator of short-term memory loss relating rosuvastatin with short-term memory loss. Studies like these are important to better understand the effect of drugs in our memory. There should be future investigations in order to analyze the association in humans, and to prevent the usage of drugs that cause memory loss.

This specific study indicates the relationship between a common drug and its effect on short-term memory loss, which is one of the principal topics of my Review Paper.

Waldstein S,Wendell C, Seliger S, Ferrucci L, Metter J, and Zonderman A. 2010. NSAIDs, Aspirin, and Cognitive Function in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 58 : 38-43.

The purpose of this investigation is to study the different cognitive effects of nonaspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and aspirin on a sample of two thousand three hundred men and women older than 45 years. This study showed how participants without dementia reacted to tests of verbal and nonverbal memory, attention, perceptuo-motor speed, confrontation naming, executive function, and mental status. At each visit to the Gerontology Research Center in Baltimore, the participants reported if they used NSAID or aspirin. Then, they were exposed to different tests that measured their memory, attention, concentration, executive function, and mental status. To increase the special information provided by each neuropsychological test, separate regression models were constructed for each test as a dependent measure. Aspirin use was associated with poor performance on the tests related to memory, concentration, and visual memory. NSAID users showed better performance on the

test related to memory, concentration, and mental flexibility. This study is very important because the understanding of the trajectories of cognitive function associated with NSAID and aspirin use may provide significant information regarding maintenance of cognitive function with aging. Some patients died while others left the investigation that is why I recommend that for future studies the population should be more trustworthy. The participants should be committed and responsible people. Also, the participants should sign a document promising that they would be loyal to the examination and that that they will assist to every appointment until the end of the investigation.

This investigation indicates the cognitive effects of aspirin and NSAIDs, which is one of the principal topics of my Review Paper.

Zarhndast MR, Ardjmand A, Rezayof A, Ahmadi S. 2013.The time profile of morphine effect on different phases of inhibitory avoidance memory in rat. Archives of Iranian Medicine .16, 34-37.

The most important aim of this study is to investigate the exact time of morphine's effect on various stages of inhibitory avoidance memory(IA).This is a fear-aggravated test used to evaluate learning and memory in rodents. Rats learn to avoid an environment in which an aversive stimulus (such as a foot-shock) was previously delivered. Consequently, an amount of 7.5 mg/kg of morphine was injected to rats. The IA apparatus consisted of a dual chamber box separated by a wall divided into two equal sized compartments. One side was illuminated while the other was not. Further studies have shown that rats tend to move to darker sides. Therefore, the latency of each animal to cross to the dark compartment was recorded. This study shows that pre-training administrations of morphine impaired the acquisition of IA memory as revealed by a decrease in step-through latency on the test day. After training administration impaired the consolidation of IA memory but immediately post-training administration did not impair IA memory consolidation. Immediately pre-test administration impaired IA memory retrieval. Investigations like these are important to better understand the effect of medications in our memory. There should be future studies in order to analyze the association in humans, and to avoid the usage of drugs that cause memory loss. For future investigations I recommend a longer study with another medication. I highly recommend a dose of a month or longer because humans use medications for long time periods.

This specific study indicates the relationship between a common drug and its effect on memory, which is one of the principal topics of my Review Paper.