For the first time, scientists can see the shape of memories

Scientists have found the shape of memory blocks in the brain. Specifically, they are nerve cells that process information related to what we have been through.

By making these brain cells glow, scientists hope that this finding will help us learn more about how memories form in the brain.

A group of researchers from the Méditerranée Neurology Institute in France discovered memory cells by injecting a fluorescent protein into the neurons of four mice. This particular protein will light up when exposed to calcium ions released from nerve cells. This is a sure sign that neurons are working.

When the mice run on the treadmill, the nerve cells start to light up and work positively if the process repeats continuously. This shows that the cells collected information and saved it into memory. When these mice rest, the cells also work but fade quickly. The shape and color of the memory cell blocks are also different from when the mice are running.

"To really understand how the brain organizes memory, we have to understand how memory is described by the basic computing units of the brain - the nerve cells - and the networks of "They are , " said Peter N. Steinmetz, a doctor and a doctor and neuroscience program director in Barrow. "Knowing memory retention and recovery mechanisms is an important step in better understanding how to treat dementia-related diseases, affecting our aging population. ".

Brain cells emit different light for different types of memories.(Photo source: Méditerranée Neurology Institute).

Researchers have discovered that recently viewed words are stored distributed throughout the hippocampus, with about 2% of cells responsible for remembering any word and about 3% of the words produced. strong change in stimulating these cells.

Stony Brook University (USA) experts tested the basic memory mechanism in mice. They manipulated acetylcholine , a neurotransmitter in the brain, acting as a memory-related signaling mechanism.

Acetylcholine is transferred by cholinergic neurons to the amygdala. In it, cholinergic neurons are located at the base of the brain and are thought to enhance emotional memories when increased in the amygdala.

To stimulate certain regions of cholinergic neuronal cells, the researchers used light to control cells in living tissue, a method called optogenetics . " Memories of emotional experiences are particularly strong, whether it's negative or positive. Our goal is to determine the mechanisms behind the increased memory" . Dr. Lorna Role, chairman of the Department of Neurology and Behavior, and co-director of the Neuroscience Institute at Stony Brook Medical School, explained.

Ms. Role and her colleagues found that, when increasing the release of acetylcholine in the amygdala area when a painful memory formed , this memory would be enhanced, lasting twice as long as normal. In contrast, when the acetylcholine signaling is reduced in a traumatic experience, researchers were able to completely eliminate that memory.

Researchers hope, their discovery may one day help develop new methods to enhance pleasant memories for people with dementia or even reverse stress disorders. post traumatic psychology.