Let those who have never had a “blank” throw the first stone and have forgotten what happened at some point in the last few days. A new study published in the scientific journal Current Biology demonstrated that it is possible to retrieve forgotten memories days later by activating selected brain cells — at least in mice.
The test was done in mice and, although the possibility of replicating it in humans is slim, the research revealed that some apparently forgotten memories may exist in some inaccessible state in the brain and can be retrieved artificially.
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The technique used for this memorial recovery is optogenetics, an experimental approach that uses light to precisely control the activity of brain cells. For the experiment in mice to be less invasive, the scientists medicated the rodents with roflumilast, a medicine used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Among the effects of the drug is increased levels of a specific cell signaling molecule, which decreases when memory is impaired due to lack of sleep. The drug’s action was recorded five days following the start of training, especially when light activation was used.
Using optogenetics, researchers elicited fear-related “freeze” responses by reactivating a subset of hippocampal neurons that were “on” during a previous experience.
In addition, the researchers also stimulated memory recall in amnesic rodents, which serves as a model for the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Although the study remains in the animal world, the long-term goal of the research, according to the scientists, is to understand how memories are acquired, stored and retrieved to possibly help people recover their memories.
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