New research in rats has shown that a cheap drug used to prevent asthma attacks could also help our brains to fight the symptoms of old age - including memory loss, inflammation, and loss of cognitive performance.
The drug, known as montelukast, was given to rats over a six-week period and appeared to reduce brain inflammation, while at the same time encouraging the growth of new neurons. Scientists are now planning clinical trials in patients with dementia, to see if the drug has the same effect in humans.