Researchers at the University of Basel discovered a direct link in between activity in specific brain areas like the hippocampus and memory efficiency, utilizing the world’s biggest practical imaging research study on memory, including almost 1,500 individuals. The findings, which exposed more powerful brain activation in people with much better memory, might affect future research study connecting biological qualities to brain signals.
Individuals show considerable variations in their memory abilities. A research study by the University of Basel has actually now determined a connection in between particular brain signals and these distinctions in memory efficiency.
Although it is developed that specific locations of the brain are necessary for memory functions, it has actually stayed uncertain whether these areas show differing activity levels connected to the storage of info in people with varying memory efficiency levels.
Having examined this matter, a research study group led by Professor Dominique de Quervain and Professor Andreas Papassotiropoulos has actually now released its lead to the journal < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Nature Communications</div><div class=glossaryItemBody><em>Nature Communications</em> is a peer-reviewed, open-access, multidisciplinary, scientific journal published by Nature Portfolio. It covers the natural sciences, including physics, biology, chemistry, medicine, and earth sciences. It began publishing in 2010 and has editorial offices in London, Berlin, New York City, and Shanghai. </div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" >NatureCommunications
In the world’s biggest practical imaging research study on memory, they asked almost 1,500 individuals in between the ages of18 and35 to take a look at and remember an overall of72 images.During this procedure, the scientists taped the topics’ brain activity utilizing MRI.(************************************************************************************************************** )individuals were then asked to remember as much of the images as possible– and as in the basic population, there were substantial distinctions in memory efficiency amongst them.
Signals in brain areas and networks
In specific brain areas consisting of the hippocampus, the scientists discovered a direct association in between brain activity throughout the memorization procedure and subsequent memory efficiency. Individuals with a much better memory revealed a more powerful activation of these brain locations. No such association was discovered for other memory-relevant brain locations in the occipital cortex– they were similarly active in people with all levels of memory efficiency.
Functional networks related to private distinctions in memory efficiency. Credit: MCN, University of Basel
The scientists were likewise able to determine practical networks in the brain that were connected to memory efficiency. These networks consist of various brain areas that interact with each other to allow complicated procedures such as the storage of info.
“The findings help us to better understand how differences in memory performance occur between one individual and another,” statedDr Léonie Geissmann, the research study’s very first author, including that the brain signals of a single person do not permit any conclusions to be drawn about their memory efficiency, nevertheless.
According to the scientists, the outcomes are of excellent significance for future research study targeted at connecting biological qualities such as hereditary markers to brain signals.
Basel- based research study on memory
The present research study kinds part of a massive research study task performed by the Research Cluster Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences (MCN) at the University of Basel’s Department of Biomedicine and the University Psychiatric Clinics (UPK)Basel The goal of this task is to get a much better understanding of memory procedures and to move the findings from standard research study into medical applications.
Reference: “Neurofunctional underpinnings of individual differences in visual episodic memory performance” by Léonie Geissmann, David Coynel, Andreas Papassotiropoulos and Dominique J. F. de Quervain, 14 September 2023, Nature Communications
DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-023-41380- w
