Eraser for memory
The neuralizer from "Men in Black" is already here
Oksana Sholokhova, Naked Science
When we are preparing for the exam, many advise not to start at the last moment and be sure to get enough sleep before the responsible day. In addition to the fact that lack of sleep can affect other processes, the most important is its role in the process of transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory. This process, which is called consolidation, occurs in the brain due to the mechanism of long—term potentiation - amplification of signal transmission in chemical synapses (contacts between neurons), which persists for a long time. How and when exactly memories are formed in the brain depends on the time and specific groups of neurons involved in consolidation.
Scientists from Kyoto University used the technique of optogenetics — optical effects on the brain — to destroy the protein cofilin, which is necessary for the optimal functioning of synapses. To do this, an adenovirus is injected into the brain, working as a "courier" to deliver a protein associated with a fluorescent marker. When optical exposure is applied, proteins release oxygen that deactivates cofilin. Due to this, it is possible to locally influence specific areas of the brain at a given time during the period of information consolidation.
Article by Goto et al. Stepwise synaptic plasticity events drive the early phase of memory consolidation published in the journal Science.
In the experiment, the hippocampus of the mouse was irradiated twice: immediately after the animal learned a new task, and then during sleep after training. The result was the loss of the memory of the studied task, just as a flash of light from a neuralizer "erased the memory" of alien life forms in the franchise "Men in Black".
Until now, the exact idea of where and when consolidation takes place has remained poorly understood. Using optogenetics to selectively block long-term potentiation within a certain time period, scientists were able to discover that different phases of synaptic plasticity play different roles. The first wave occurs locally in the hippocampus. The second wave, which occurs during sleep on the same day, organizes neurons into synchronously activated ensembles. And the third wave occurs already in the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain during sleep on the second day, which is necessary for further stabilization of memory.
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