Scientists have found strong evidence for the physical movement of memories in the brain through experiments on mice. Here’s how memory patterns in the brain change:
Memories might not just be mental images but could also physically move. A recent study by neuroscientists at Northwestern University brings this striking idea to the forefront, shedding light on changes that occur over time, particularly in the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for spatial memory.
Mouse Experiments Show Memory is Dynamic, Not Static
The research team placed mice on a treadmill in a virtual environment to observe how the hippocampus forms different neural patterns over time. Throughout each experiment, screens displayed a maze that adjusted to the mice’s movements, while a constant scent and background white noise were used. This created a controlled experimental setting where environmental factors were kept constant.
In this study, equipped with high-resolution imaging techniques, researchers monitored brain activity in real time and discovered a phenomenon called representational drift, which occurs independently of external changes. Previously thought to be linked to the environment, this drift is now believed to be part of the brain’s internal reorganization process.
Lead author Daniel Dombeck and his team argue that this drift might be related to how the brain stores repetitive but slightly differentiated experiences. For example, during familiar experiences like a person revisiting their favorite restaurant, the brain might subtly re-categorize this information.
This discovery is of great importance for understanding how the brain reconstructs information over time. If a similar mechanism is valid in the human brain, new approaches could be developed that might revolutionize the understanding and treatment of memory disorders. Furthermore, this dynamic structure could offer a new reference point for biological memory modeling in artificial intelligence systems.
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