Quieting the overactive hippocampus restores memory in aging.

A recent study by Bakker et al. shows that a low dose of the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam reduces hippocampal hyperactivity in elderly humans with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and improves hippocampal memory function. This points towards a new treatment strategy for age-related memory impairment by reducing deleterious overactivity of the hippocampus.