"Because we were able to highlight these places in laboratory mice brains, hopefully we can get to know more about how memories are formed in our brains," said the researchers behind this study
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| Queensland Brain Institute - University of Queensland |
A team from the Institute of Neurobiology in France have made this discovery by using a fluorescent protein in neurons of four mice. This protein illuminate the cells containing calcium ions, in this case showing that the existence of the respective neuron functions.
Laboratory mice were tested so as they ran on a running wheel. During the "race" their neurons were lit, which means that in their minds already formed memories that helped them remember the distance traveled. When the animals were resting, light only appear in certain parts of the brain representing that there is stocaseră information that helped the rats to remember different parts of "race" covered.
"We managed to outline how memories are formed," explained Rosa Cossart, study leader.
Of course, the study was questioned by other researchers who claim that you can not know for sure if these neurons are indeed those responsible for storing memories. They argue that there is no reason why that experience for the running wheel mice on them to be stored in memory and divide into distinct cell blocks. However, these studies represent an interest for them, only to be taken further, detailed and analyzed in other ways.
Currently scientists clear a few aspects regarding how the storage of memories in the brain, such as that in the hippocampus there are cells that help the rats to remember the surrounding world, but they could not explain at this time how and why illuminate these neurons and that this process has traveled to the brain.
Source: Descopera
