A new study from Cornell University reveals that the brain resets memory during sleep to prevent overloading and allow for continuous learning. The process involves silencing specific neurons in the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory consolidation.
During learning, neurons in the hippocampus are activated, and this activity is repeated during sleep. However, researchers found that certain parts of the hippocampus go silent during deep sleep, allowing those neurons to reset. This mechanism could be targeted to enhance memory or erase traumatic memories.
The study focused on the CA2 region of the hippocampus, which plays a key role in silencing neurons for reset. The researchers implanted electrodes in the hippocampi of mice and recorded neuronal activity during learning and sleep. They found that during sleep, the neurons in the CA1 and CA3 areas reproduced the same patterns of activity as during learning, but the CA2 region generated a silent state that allowed the brain to reset.
The study’s findings have implications for understanding why sleep is vital for maintaining cognitive function and memory. The researchers believe that their discovery could lead to new ways to enhance memory or erase negative memories, which may help treat conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.
In summary, the brain resets memory during sleep by silencing specific neurons in the hippocampus, allowing for continuous learning without overloading. This process involves different regions of the hippocampus, particularly CA2, and could be targeted to enhance memory or erase traumatic memories.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/sleep-learning-neuron-reset-27551/