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Long-term memory has back-up plan, researchers find

A team of scientists has identified a back-up mechanism for memory storage that takes over when the molecular mechanism of primary long-term memory storage fails. They found that mice engineered without an enzyme crucial to long-term memory storage still form memories because they deploy an alternative method, involving PKCλ/ι.

Thanks, actin, for the memories

Researchers at Rice University suggest that actin filaments play a key role in forming and storing long-term memories by stabilizing soluble cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding proteins (CPEB) into longer, insoluble prion-like fibers. This process is thought to aggregate and encode memories in neurons' synaptic regions.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 18, 2016

Can physical exercise enhance long-term memory?

A new study published in Brain Plasticity reports that running mice developed twice the normal number of new neurons and showed improved ability to distinguish between similar objects. This improvement in pattern separation is crucial for everyday memory tasks like remembering chess piece shapes or patterns on a board.

SourceIOS Press·JournalBrain Plasticity·DateNov 25, 2015

Apes know a good thriller when they see one

Researchers found that great apes can remember and anticipate memorable events from a single viewing of a movie, using anticipatory looks to track impending events. The study used eye-tracking technology to test the apes' ability to recall and anticipate events in two different films.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateSep 17, 2015

Seen once, never forgotten

Researchers adapted eye-tracking technology for apes, showing they could recall video clips after a 24-hour delay and anticipate what came next. The study suggests great apes can use their memories to avoid danger, interact socially, and navigate complex environments.

SourceKyoto University·JournalCurrent Biology·DateSep 17, 2015

How neurons remember

Research reveals that stored memories are coded as permanent changes in neuronal communication and connection strength, influencing response behavior and gene expression. The study demonstrates that spine calcium responses can undergo long-term enhancement through ryanodine receptor activation.

Not like riding a bike: New motor memories need stabilizing

A recent study published in PLOS Computational Biology suggests that new motor skills memories formed during a single practice session are intrinsically unstable, contrary to previous theories. This finding has implications for our understanding of how motor skills memories are stabilized over time.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateJun 18, 2015

Long-term memory formation

A team of NYU researchers discovered that two growth factor families, TrkB and TGFβr-II, play distinct roles in creating long-term memories by exerting their actions in different parts of the brain. At different times, these molecules swap roles to facilitate memory formation.

SourceNew York University·JournalNeuron·DateJun 3, 2015

Bumblebees make false memories too

Researchers found that bumblebees can create false memories by combining features of previously seen stimuli. This phenomenon is similar to human memory conjunction errors and may be an adaptive mechanism to help animals respond in new situations. The study suggests that false memories may be widespread in the animal kingdom.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateFeb 26, 2015

Family voices and stories speed coma recovery

A Northwestern University study found that family members sharing familiar stories with coma patients who wore headphones recovered consciousness faster and had improved outcomes. This 'familiar auditory sensory training' stimulated the brain's memory circuits, helping patients wake up more easily and respond to their environment.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNeurorehabilitation and Neural Repair·DateJan 22, 2015

Lift weights, improve your memory

A new study found that a short bout of resistance exercise, such as lifting weights for 20 minutes, can improve episodic memory by 10% in healthy young adults. The researchers tested participants before and after the exercise, using a series of photos to assess their memory recall.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalActa Psychologica·DateOct 1, 2014

What makes memories last?

Scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have identified a protein that is essential for creating and maintaining long-term memories. The protein, Orb2A, must be tightly regulated to form only in specific neural circuits, and its conversion into a prion-like state can be triggered by nerve cell stimulation.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateFeb 11, 2014

Delaying gratification, when the reward is under our noses

A recent study found that the hippocampus helps individuals resist temptation by simulating future outcomes. Individuals with hippocampus damage, such as those with Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia, struggle to imagine long-term rewards, leading to impulsive decisions.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateOct 22, 2013

Fishing for memories

Japanese researchers from RIKEN Brain Science Institute have visualized the process of remembering learned behavior in zebrafish. The study uses calcium imaging to trace neural activity and finds that short-term and long-term memories are formed in different parts of the brain.

SourceRIKEN·JournalNeuron·DateMay 16, 2013

Scientists identify brain's 'molecular memory switch'

Researchers have identified a key molecule responsible for triggering chemical processes in the brain linked to memory formation. The study found that the gene CASK regulates the 'molecular memory switch', enabling it to remain active even after calcium has gone, paving the way for new therapies to reverse memory loss.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalFrontiers in Neural Circuits·DateMar 28, 2013

Study refutes accepted model of memory formation

A study by Johns Hopkins researchers found that mice lacking a widely accepted enzyme for long-term memory formation were still able to form memories as well as normal mice. The study refutes the prevailing theory of how synapses strengthen, suggesting PKM-zeta is not the key molecule for long-term memory.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalNature·DateJan 2, 2013

Words have feelings

A study published in Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience found that emotion in voices enhances initial word recognition, but does not improve long-term memory. The researchers discovered that emotionally intoned speech can lead to the acquisition of emotional value, making words more negatively charged in the mind.