Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Chocolate makes snails smarter

Researchers found that a specific flavonoid in dark chocolate enhances the memories of pond snails, allowing them to learn and retain information more effectively. The study suggests that this compound may have potential cognitive benefits for humans as well, potentially improving learning and memory retention.

SourceThe Company of Biologists·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateSep 27, 2012

Making memories last

Scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research found that oligomers of a synapse protein are essential for forming long-term memory. The discovery supports a new theory about memory and may have implications for understanding diseases such as Alzheimer's and prion diseases.

A deep male voice helps women remember

A study by David Smith and colleagues found that women's memory is sensitive to male voice pitch, a cue important for mate choice. Women preferred low pitch male voices and remembered objects more accurately when introduced by deep male voices.

SourceSpringer·JournalMemory & Cognition·DateSep 12, 2011

Thanks for the memories

A study at the Weizmann Institute found that false memories are formed when our brains rely on false information from others, which is reinforced by social pressure. The researchers discovered a unique pattern of brain activity associated with this process, highlighting a surprising connection between social and memory processing.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalScience·DateJun 30, 2011

Sleep switch found in fruit flies

Researchers found a group of approximately 20 cells in the brains of fruit flies that controls when and how long they sleep. This sleep state is essential for long-term memory formation, suggesting a connection between memory and sleep. The discovery opens up new possibilities for understanding sleep and its role in memory consolidation.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalScience·DateJun 23, 2011

Restoring memory, repairing damaged brains

Researchers develop a way to duplicate the neural mechanism of learning in rats, restoring memory function. The team's artificial hippocampal system can strengthen internal brain memory and enhance cognitive processes, paving the way for potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalJournal of Neural Engineering·DateJun 17, 2011

A-ha! The neural mechanisms of insight

A new brain-imaging study has identified specific brain activity associated with 'A-ha!' moments, which may promote the formation of long-term memories. The researchers found that higher activity in the amygdala during insight moments predicted more successful performance in memory tasks.

SourceCell Press·JournalNeuron·DateMar 9, 2011

Mount Sinai researchers identify potential therapeutic target for improving long-term memory

Mount Sinai researchers have identified insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) as a potential therapeutic target for enhancing long-term memory and preventing its loss. IGF-II, a gene expressed during brain development that declines with aging, was found to improve long-term memory in rats by promoting stable LTP.

MIT neuroscientists explain 'Proustian effect' of small details attached to big memories

Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute of Learning and Memory discovered that relatively minor details are sometimes linked to long-term memories. They found that irrelevant information that follows a relevant event is more likely to be integrated into long-term memory, and that this can occur within an hour and a half after the event.

Preserving memory with age

Researchers found that longevity treatments have different impacts on learning and memory in C. elegans, a nematode species. Dietary restriction improved early adult memory but declined with age, while reduced Insulin/IGF-1 signaling enhanced memory performance but failed to preserve it with age.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateMay 18, 2010

Scientists decipher the formation of lasting memories

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. The study found that signalling via the nogo receptor 1 plays a key part in this process, enabling the conversion of short-term memories into long-term ones.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 10, 2009

Building memories with actin

Researchers have discovered that actin reorganization in two stages is controlled by different pathways, making it easy to encode new memories but hard to hold onto them. The Rho-ROCK pathway initiates cytoskeletal changes, while the Rac-PAK pathway solidifies them, leading to heightened synapse sensitivity and memory persistence.

SourceRockefeller University Press·JournalJournal of Cell Biology·DateJul 13, 2009

Calcium -- the secret to honeybees' memory

Researchers have discovered that calcium modulation affects long-term memory specifically while leaving learning and short-term memory intact. The study found that increased calcium levels during learning led to stronger responses to olfactory stimuli associated with food, indicating improved memory performance.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Biology·DateJun 15, 2009

An end to fear

A team of Dutch researchers successfully reduced the fear response in human volunteers using beta-blocker propranolol. The treatment weakened fear memories, allowing them to be erased from long-term memory. This breakthrough has implications for treating anxiety disorders and offers a new approach to intervention.

SourceNetherlands Organization for Scientific Research·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateMar 11, 2009

Memory enhanced by sports-cheat drug

Researchers have discovered that the blood-boosting effects of erythropoietin are not related to its impact on cognition. Instead, EPO directly influences neurons in the brain, improving memory and cognitive function. The findings may lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Biology·DateSep 8, 2008

Memory machine

Scientists found that long-term memories require a miniature molecular machine to maintain, which must be constantly active. Jamming this 'machine' can briefly erase memories, suggesting potential future treatments for memory problems.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalScience·DateAug 16, 2007