A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found that inflammation in the brain may contribute to memory loss.

Researchers revealed chronic inflammation on the brain could play a role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The study showed that prolonged inflammation may impair function of the hippocampus - a region of the brain that is involved in storing and generating memory.

They added that it is done so by disrupting the creation of memories, which is called long term potentiation. Researchers said that they plan to monitor the study's participants until the end of their lives to use additional inflammatory markers such as the C-reactive protein.

"We think such a study will give us a better idea of what is driving the processes we have observed," said Joel H. Kramer, UCSF clinical professor of neuropsychology and the director of the neuropsychology program.. "If baseline levels of inflammatory markers predict change over time, we would consider a clinical trial using anti-inflammatory drugs to treat inflammation."

For some individuals, completing an IQ test frequently could help show whether memory and other processes that govern recollection of information remain sharp over time.