Scientists in the North-East have published ground-breaking research which could lead to treatment for memory loss in humans through illnesses such as Alzheimer's or simply old age.

Durham University psychologists, Dr Alex Easton and Dr Madeline Eacott, and research student Ann Zinkivskay, found rats could remember where objects were hidden and use that to look for preferred objects. Previously it was believed that the ability to remember past times was unique to humans.

Their paper, in this month's issue of the scientific magazine Learning and Memory, is called Recollection is an episodic-like memory task in the rat.

Dr Easton said, "This recollection of where an object is in a given environment is like human episodic memory.

"For example, when we remember what we had for breakfast we don't just think of the bowl of cereal on its own, but instead we remember other details like the room in which we ate it and who else was there.

"The ability to mentally recreate a situation is crucial to human experience, not only allowing us to reminisce about past times, but it may also be the basis of the ability to mentally create possible futures."

Episodic memory in humans is the first type of memory to degenerate in old age or in diseases like Alzheimer's disease.

"Being able to study this type of memory in an animal like the rat will allow us in the future to study why this memory breaks down in these patients, and perhaps will allow us to develop ways to intervene," Dr Easton said.

The Durham team is now advertising for candidates for a PhD studentship to continue the research and Dr Eaton said: "In particular, we have an interest in the mechanisms of episodic memory and other complex events.

"Episodic memories are impaired in patients with Alzheimer's disease, or some form of strokes or other brain injury as well as in normal ageing.

"Understanding the mechanisms behind the memory is extremely important in order to try and alleviate problems."