Over the last few decades, scientists who carry out their research activity in the field of neuroscience have learned a great deal. And yet, to a large extent, our brain remains a mysteryAnd it is because its complexity is extraordinary. However, this difficulty does not represent an obstacle when it comes to continuing to strive and investigate. Fortunately. If neuroscientists threw in the towel, our knowledge about the human brain would stagnate.
Flavio Donato and his team of researchers from the University of Basel (Switzerland) have not been intimidated by the natural complexity of our brain. And their efforts are already bearing fruit. In the article that these scientists have published in the journal Science, they explain in considerable detail a mechanism of the brain that until now neuroscientists did not know well. And, curiously, it is a behaviour that is distantly reminiscent of the strategy that we humans use to prevent our computers from losing our most valuable information.
Our brain makes sure to keep our memories safe
The human brain has an enormous capacity for learning and plasticity. Storing memories is one of the mechanisms that helps us learn by taking as a starting point the experiences we have lived in the past. And this learning is crucial because it allows us to adapt and respond to some of the challenges and experiences we will have to face in the future. Until now, neuroscientists did not know how the human brain resolves the dynamics of memories, but now we have some answers. And they are very interesting.
All this activity takes place in the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain responsible for learning from experience.
Professor Donato and his team have discovered that our brain processes each memory linked to a specific experience with the purpose of storing it in multiple copies simultaneously. This means, quite simply, that a memory does not leave a single imprint in our brain structure, so it is not unreasonable to compare this mechanism with the creation of backup copies that we use to safeguard the most relevant information that we store on our computers.
Furthermore, these scientists have concluded that copies of a particular memory are preserved for different periods of time, so not all of them remain indefinitely. In fact, in some cases none of them may last. However, this is not all they have found out. They have also confirmed that some copies can be modified to a certain extent over time. The curious thing is that all this activity takes place in the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain responsible for learning from experience.
Interestingly, each experience is stored in at least three distinct groups of neurons that form during different stages of embryonic development. In fact, the neurons that form first are responsible for storing the memories that are preserved in the long term. Neurons that form later have a very strong capacity to retain memories at first, but this fades over time. And finally, memories that are stored for a short time in neurons formed in the later stages of embryonic development can be easily modified and rewritten.
“The challenge our brain faces when it comes to memory is impressive. On the one hand, it has to remember what we have experienced in the past to help us understand the world we live in. But, on the other hand, it needs to adapt to the changes that occur around us to help us make the right decisions to ensure our survival,” explains Professor Donato. It is fascinating. There is no doubt that scientists still have a lot of work to do in the field of neuroscience, but thanks to discoveries such as those of these researchers, we can look to the future with a very healthy optimism.
Imagen | Anna Shvets
More information | Science
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