Altering memory by affecting staufen function

A method of screening a pharmaceutical agent for its ability to modulate long term memory formation in a mammal, comprising the steps of:

• a) administering a pharmaceutical agent of interest to a first mammal;
• b) determining STAUFEN function in said mammal administered the pharmaceutical agent in step a) relative to STAUFEN function in a control mammal of the same species as said first mammal to which said pharmaceutical agent has not been administered;
• c) selecting the pharmaceutical agent if STAUFEN function determined in step b) differs from the STAUFEN function in said control mammal;
• d) administering the pharmaceutical agent selected in step c) to a second mammal;
• e) training said second mammal administered the pharmaceutical agent in step d) and a control mammal of the same species as the second mammal to which said pharmaceutical agent has not been administered under conditions appropriate to produce long term memory formation in the mammals;
• f) assessing long term memory formation in the mammals trained in step e);
• and g) comparing long term memory formation in the mammals assessed in step f).

A method of screening a pharmaceutical agent for its ability to modulate performance of a hippocampal-dependent cognitive task by a mammal, comprising the steps of:

• a) administering a pharmaceutical agent of interest to a first mammal;
• b) determining STAUFEN function in said mammal administered the pharmaceutical agent in step a) relative to STAUFEN function in a control mammal of the same species a as the first mammal to which said pharmaceutical agent has not been administered;
• c) selecting said pharmaceutical agent if STAUFEN function determined in step b) differs from the STAUFEN function in said control mammal;
• d) administering the pharmaceutical agent selected instep c) to a second mammal;
• e) training said second mammal administered the pharmaceutical agent in step d) and a control mammal of the same species as the second mammal to which said pharmaceutical agent has not been administered under conditions appropriate for performance of a specified hippocampal-dependent cognitive task by the mammals;
• f) assessing performance of said hippocampal-dependent cognitive task by the mammals trained in step e);
• and g) comparing performance of said hippocampal-dependent cognitive ask by the mammals assessed in step f).