London (PTI): Scientists have artificially reproduced a common form of dementia, a breakthrough that they claim could soon lead to the development of new treatments to halt the onset of the disease.

Known as dementia with Lewy bodies, the condition is said to be the second most common form of the disease which affects a large number of people all over the world. Some of its symptoms include memory loss, hallucinations and tremors.

By creating the same damage to the brain in laboratory rodents, a team at Nottingham University reproduced the nerve cell death, another symptom of dementia with Lewy bodies, for the first time, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

"This mouse model is the first platform to understand how the brain cell deterioration takes place. We will use this model to identify targets for new drugs to slow or prevent the disease," Prof John Mayer, who led the team, was quoted by the British newspaper as saying.

In fact, to create the condition in mice, Prof Mayer and his colleagues genetically engineered the animals without a crucial gene, which aids in the "waste disposal" process of all cells.

Without this gene, nerve cells began to die, the scientists found in their study -- the results of which have been published in the latest edition of the 'Journal of Neuroscience'.

Praising the research, Rebecca Wood of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "This is a crucial breakthrough for scientists fighting Lewy body disease. Further research using these models will enable us to find new drug targets."