How does the human brain form and store memories? – Health

(Web Desk) – A recent study by Professor Flavio Donato and his research team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has provided fascinating insights into how the brain stores and changes memories over time.

Using mouse models, the researchers investigated the role of the hippocampus – an important brain region involved in memory formation.

It has been found to manage a single memory event across multiple parallel copies distributed across different groups of neurons that developed at different stages of embryonic development.

The study shows that neurons that form early in development are crucial for long-term memory storage. Initially, these early-forming neurons produce weak memory traces that strengthen over time.

Conversely, memory copies formed by later-developing neurons are initially strong but tend to weaken over time. Neurons developed between these early and late stages contribute to more stable memory representations.

Research shows that the choice of which memory copy to use can affect how easily memories can be changed or updated.

Memories associated with late-forming neurons and more fleeting are more easily altered, making it easier to integrate new information shortly after an event.

Lead author Vilde Kveim said: “The dynamics with which memories are stored in the brain is evidence of the brain’s plasticity, which underlies its enormous memory capacity.”

“The challenge the brain faces in remembering is quite impressive. On the one hand, we need to remember what happened in the past in order to understand the world we live in.

On the other hand, it must adapt to the changes around us, and the same goes for our memory to help us make the right decisions for our future,” says Flavio Donato.

The study’s findings suggest that manipulating specific memory copies and their timing could have a significant impact on how we remember, modify, and use our memories.

This research paves the way for possible advances in controlling and improving memory functions.