Researchers at the University of Bonn have made a groundbreaking discovery about how our brains form memories. They found that specific brain cells, called concept neurons and location cells, play a crucial role in predicting whether we will successfully remember people and places.
These neurons are located in the medial temporal lobe and parahippocampal cortex, areas essential for memory formation. When these neurons become active during memory formation, they respond to specific images and locations. The activity of these neurons is linked to successful memory retention, with higher firing rates when memories are later recalled correctly.
The discovery sheds new light on how our brains encode and consolidate autobiographical memories. According to the study’s findings, concept cells in the hippocampus, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex, as well as location-selective neurons in the parahippocampal cortex, are highly specialized and work together to support the connection of “what” and “where” in episodic memory.
The research was led by Prof. Florian Mormann from the Department of Epileptology at the University of Bonn and funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and the German Research Foundation. The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of how memories are formed and stored in the brain.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/autobiographical-memory-neurons-27646/