Long-term memory, which strengthens the points (synapses) that connect nerve cells with other cells, has a critical importance in memory formation. When and where memories are formed in the brain can be determined by examining which cells are activated and when.
A group of researchers at a university in Japan looking for ways to control memory have created a neural optic system that disables the proteins that make up long-term memory. The researchers, who tested the system on mouse brains, stated that this method can also be used on humans.
Unwanted memories can be deleted
In a paper published in the journal Science, Akihiro Goto of Kyoto University introduced a new system of neural optics technology he developed to organize memories. Goto’s optical system can be used to inhibit memory-enhancing activity during sleep, also known as LTP, which provides long-term potentiation. This system, which can prevent events from being transferred to long-term memory, is currently being tested on mouse brains.
The research team made optical manipulations to the mouse brain once it learned something, and a second time during sleep after learning, to block the functioning of proteins needed to be transferred to long-term memory in the mice’s brain cells. It was observed that the memories in the brain cells of the mice were erased.
Hayashi stated that he believes this new technology is a method that can be developed to control the memory formation of brain cells both temporally and spatially. Highlighting that abnormalities related to long-term memory play a role in memory and learning disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, Hayashi said, “We expect our method to lead to a treatment for mental disorders.”
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