Catching Zs may snag memories, too

Fruit flies that snooze can overcome memory deficits, raising hope for Alzheimer’s and other patients

Sleep can restore the memory of profoundly forgetful fruit flies. That raises the possibility that promoting sleep in people with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders might ease their symptoms, too.

The flies were able to overcome memory-stealing mutations with something as simple as some solid rest, scientists report online April 23 in Current Biology.