EPO is a nootropicWednesday, 10 September, 2008 Erythropoietin
(EPO), a hormone that increases red blood cells and is used as a
performance enhancer for athletic performance, has now been
shown to enhance memory in normal, healthy mice. Mice that
received EPO injections had enhanced memory for 3-4 weeks
afterwards, which is longer than the elevation in red blood cell
count lasts. This effect isn’t actually novel, as other
researchers had noticed that EPO improved brain function over 18
years ago (Grimm et al, 1990), and research into mental illness
has also suggested that EPO has an effect on brain function
(Ehrenreich et al, 2004). But it was always thought to be
dependent on the change in red blood cells, but more recent
evidence has suggested it works independently of effects on
blood cells (Miskowiak et al, 2007). This mouse model confirms
this. Of course, the researchers have been focusing on this as a
treatment, but anyone can see that this is a promising
enhancement too. This mouse research showed that