Can flies shed light on our own age-related memory impairment?

As organisms age, they suffer a progressive decline in cognitive function often referred to as age-related memory impairment (AMI). Currently, many advances have been made in elucidating pathways and mechanisms involved in the aging process. In addition, much is known about processes involved in memory formation. However, it is not yet clear how aging and memory interact such that memory declines upon age. Here, we review possible connections between the two processes and discuss how Drosophila may be used as a model organism to study this interaction.