numerous studies have associated sleep with improved memory. But can sleep improve memory enough to help patients with Alzheimer's? This is what researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis set out to investigate.

Paul Shaw, PhD, professor of neurobiology at the Washington University School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted their study on three groups of fruit flies - whose brains regulate sleep in a similar way to humans.

In each group of flies, the researchers disabled a gene to cause different memory problems, but all of which interfered with their ability to make new memories.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/292942.php