Stopped brain clock saves memory in hamsters

Broken timekeeper may explain some mental problems

TURN OFF TIME  Messing with the brain’s master clock, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (tiny spot in yellow) triggers memory troubles, but removing the clock completely might solve the problem.

Killing the brain’s clock could sharpen memories. The memory problems plaguing night shift workers, jet-lagged travelers and people with Alzheimer’s disease might be fixed by destroying the body’s timekeeper, a new study in hamsters suggests.