Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists

Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists

Cognitive enhancers, also known as "smart drugs," are substances used to enhance memory, mental alertness, and concentration. These can be natural or synthetic and improve cognition in conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Some common examples include caffeine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, arecoline, donepezil, vortioxetine, and piracetam. These enhancers work on the principle of synaptic plasticity and altered circuit function.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Association of rapamycin treatment with the modulation of purine metabolism, reduced microglial inflammatory responses, improved mitochondrial energy metabolism, and alleviation of fatigue symptoms in ME/CFS subjects: pilot findings from phase-II observational study.

Journal of translational medicine·2026

Same author

Corrected Version: Protection of Mice from Controlled Cortical Impact Injury by Food Additive Glyceryl Tribenzoate.

Journal of clinical & experimental immunology·2026

Same author

Exploiting vitamin C as a prooxidant to activate ROS-responsive prodrugs for potent and selective tumor killing.

Redox biology·2026

Same author

Case Report: When infection mimics autonomic failure: postural hypotension secondary to skull base osteomyelitis.

Frontiers in medicine·2026

Same author

Corrected Version: Sodium Benzoate, A Metabolite of Cinnamon and A Food Additive, Improves Cognitive Functions in Mice After Controlled Cortical Impact Injury.

Journal of clinical & experimental immunology·2026

Same author

PPARα and RXRα in the regulation of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis genes: implications for Batten disease therapy.

NeuroImmune pharmacology and therapeutics·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 19, 2026

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

Cinnamon Converts Poor Learning Mice to Good Learners: Implications for Memory Improvement.

Khushbu K Modi¹, Suresh B Rangasamy¹, Sridevi Dasarathi¹

¹Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 West Harrison St, Suite, Chicago, IL, 310, USA.

Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology : the Official Journal of the Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology

|June 26, 2016

Summary

Cinnamon and its metabolite sodium benzoate (NaB) enhance learning in mice by boosting hippocampal plasticity. This natural compound converts poor learners into good learners by stimulating memory-related molecular pathways.

Keywords:

CREB Cinnamon Memory and learning Poor learners Sodium benzoate

More Related Videos

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Published on: February 26, 2014

Assessment of Memory Function in Pilocarpine-induced Epileptic Mice

Assessment of Memory Function in Pilocarpine-induced Epileptic Mice

Published on: June 4, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 19, 2026

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Published on: February 26, 2014

Assessment of Memory Function in Pilocarpine-induced Epileptic Mice

Assessment of Memory Function in Pilocarpine-induced Epileptic Mice

Published on: June 4, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Pharmacology
Natural Products

Background:

Cinnamon is a common spice with potential cognitive benefits.
Learning and memory are associated with hippocampal plasticity.
Deficits in plasticity are observed in poor learning models.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of cinnamon and its metabolite sodium benzoate (NaB) on learning and memory.
To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms involving hippocampal plasticity.
To determine if cinnamon/NaB can convert poor learners into good learners.

Main Methods:

Administered cinnamon and NaB orally to mice.
Assessed spatial memory consolidation.
Measured CREB activation, plasticity-related molecules, and calcium influx in hippocampal neurons.
Utilized cultured hippocampal neurons for mechanistic studies.

Main Results:

Sodium benzoate (NaB) upregulated plasticity molecules, stimulated calcium influx, and increased spine density in neurons.
NaB activated CREB via PKA, leading to plasticity molecule upregulation.
Poor learning mice showed reduced CREB activation and plasticity molecule expression.
Cinnamon and NaB treatment improved spatial memory and normalized CREB activation and plasticity in poor learners.

Conclusions:

Cinnamon and NaB enhance hippocampal plasticity and cognitive function.
These compounds can convert poor learning mice into good learners.
The mechanism involves stimulating CREB-dependent pathways and increasing plasticity-related molecules.