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patella.whack [soylentnews.org] writes:

As reported [sciencedaily.com] in Science Daily, researchers at University of Leeds have created unusually intelligent mice [nih.gov][abstract only] by altering a single gene and as a result the mice were also less likely to feel anxiety or recall fear.

In behavioural tests, the...mice showed enhanced cognitive abilities. They tended to learn faster, remember events longer and solve complex exercises better than ordinary mice.

For example, the "brainy mice" showed a better ability than ordinary mice to recognise another mouse that they had been introduced to the day before. They were also quicker at learning the location of a hidden escape platform in a test called the Morris water maze. [wikipedia.org]

They also showed less recall of a fearful event after several days than ordinary mice which could be of interest to researchers looking for treatments for pathological fear, typified by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Ordinary mice are naturally fearful of cats, but these mice showed a decreased fear response to cat urine, suggesting that one effect could be an increase in risk-taking behaviour.

The researchers are now working on developing drugs that will be tested in animals to see whether any would be suitable for clinical trials in humans.

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