Why do you remember the name of your best childhood friend you haven't seen in years, but easily forget the name of a person you met just a moment ago? Why are some memories stable and stable, and others disappear within minutes?

Research

A team of researchers led by postdoctoral scholar Walter Gonzalez developed a test that examined the nervous activity of mice as they returned from various places to a familiar place with sugar. In the test, the mouse was placed in a labyrinth with white walls. There was a different sign on each wall - for example "+" near the right end and "/" near the center. Sugar was placed at both ends of the track. While the mouse explored the pathway, the researchers measured the activity of neurons in the hippocampus (the area of ​​the brain where memories are formed).

When the animal was placed on the track, it was confused and wandered left and right until it hit the sugar. The mouse slowly noticed the signs on the walls that led to sugar. After more experience of tracking and capturing a familiar symbol on the walls, more neurons were activated in the brain, and the mouse basically recognized immediately where it was and how far the sugar was. With respect to each unique symbol.

Test - mouse

The researchers then took the mouse on 20 days and then investigated how the memories disappeared over time. After returning to the track, however, due to the higher number of neurons, the mouse remembered the track very quickly. Although part of the neurons showed different activity, memory was clearly identified as a result. Thus, neurons allow us to remember very many things, although some of the original neurons may be damaged or show no activity.

Gonzales explains:

"Imagine you want to remember a long and complicated story. In that case, you could tell it to five friends and then meet everyone from time to time to tell the story together so you can help yourself. Each of the friends will have gaps that can complement each other and train their memory. "

Repeat, repeat, repeat

Memory is so vital to human behavior that memory damage can seriously affect our lives. Thus, memory loss can be a significant handicap. In the case of Alzheimer's disease, for example, the loss also has devastating social consequences, where we do not remember the faces of a close family or the way home.

The study therefore suggests a treatment style that promotes the emergence of more neurons. Multiple neurons could prevent or at least delay memory loss. For years we know that the more often we repeat a particular action, the more and longer we will remember it.