The forgetfulness drug

My adultery was not the only reason for divorce, says Ben Daily pill could halt ‘senior moments’ like losing keys

A DRUG designed to reverse everyday forgetfulness that sets in during middle age is to undergo human trials.

‘Senior moments’ – such as forgetting faces, losing keys and wondering why you entered a room – are an annoyance for many over-50s.

But promising research has found it may soon be possible to restore youthful vigour to brain cells. It is hoped a daily pill could keep older brains sharp.

The drug may also provide a treatment for the mild cognitive impairment seen in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

The new treatment has been found to work in ageing mice – improving memories to levels seen in much younger animals. Clinical trials on humans are expected to take place within two years. The drug is a type of benzodiazepine – a class which also includes anti-anxiety and depression treatment Valium.

Scientists say the ‘tweaked’ version is able to target impairments in brain cells related to memory.

Dr Etienne Sibille, who carried out a study on the drug in Toronto, Canada, said: ‘Currently there are no medications to treat cognitive symptoms such as memory loss that occur in depression, other mental illnesses and ageing.’ He added: ‘Our findings have direct implications for poor cognition in normal ageing.’

Dr Sibille stressed: ‘We are planning our first human safety trial in two years.’ It would then be tested on adults with depression.

He said: ‘This will be followed by studies in older age. Looking into the future, one may suggest anybody over the age of 55 to 60 years who may be at risk of cognitive problems later on could benefit from this treatment. Ideally it will be one pill a day.’

Dr Sibille’s team at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health identified a malfunction in chemicals that are used to transmit messages in mice brains.

They then invented a new chemical compound to target the impairment in brain cells.

It reversed memory loss in mice who had undergone stress. Thirty minutes after treatment the mice performed at normal levels in remembering the layout of mazes.

In another experiment memory declines seen in ageing mice were rapidly reversed. The team said the mice performance was ‘essentially reaching levels seen in youth or earlier stages of adulthood’. The improvement lasted over two months with daily treatment.

Dr Sibille said: ‘The aged cells regrew to appear the same as young brain cells.’

RUGBY player Ben Foden has insisted that his adultery was not the only reason his marriage with Una Healy came to an end.The pair split last year after it was revealed that Foden cheated on the former The Saturdays star when she was pregnant with their second child.In an interview with The Guardian, Foden claimed his infidelity was only one factor in the separation.‘At the moment anything that’s published about me is never very good, and pretty rightly so, because I was the one who committed adultery,’ he said‘But at the same time, it wasn’t the only reason for our divorce to go through. It’s not ideal, but we’re very amicable, we’re getting through it.’He came under further fire in the weeks following their separation, when his profile appeared on dating app Bumble, in which he said: ‘If you’re uptight and bossy, I’m not for you.’Fans of the Tipperary singer criticised him for the insensitive move, but he said that he joined the app as a joke between him and his ex.‘I picked up Una from the airport a couple of weeks after we’d first been here, and we were sort of joking about dating,’ he said.‘So I loaded up Bumble, and we did the profile together, joking around. And then I realised something dodgy was going on with it and the next day it was all over the paper.‘If she hadn’t known about it I can see it would have been a bit of a Relationship: Una with David Breen knife in the back. But we were messing around, so we can laugh and she can call me a bit of an idiot.’He told the Guardian that the move to New York came at an ideal time, as it allowed him to get away from the British media.However, he did admit that it is not easy to be away from his children.‘But I know they’re in a great and loving environment with Una, because she’s a great mum.’The couple split days before they were due to move to New York with their two children Aoife Belle, six, and Tadhg, four, as Foden prepared to join Rugby United New York.However, he made the move Stateside alone when his wife discovered he has cheated on her with a PR worker following a boozy party.Una has admitted that her life was ‘turned upside down’ by their split.However, in recent months she has moved on and found romance with former Limerick hurler David Breen.‘He cheated on her at a boozy party’Amicable: Una and Ben in London in 2016