Spanish researchers identify brain mechanism for memory preservation

Researchers at the Institute of Neurosciences, a joint venture between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University, have identified a mechanism in the brain that allows for the formation of new memories without overwriting existing ones. The study, published in PLOS Biology, focuses on the dentate gyrus, a region of the hippocampus responsible for generating new memories.

The research suggests that inhibitory neurons within the dentate gyrus play a critical role by regulating the activity of other cells. This process acts as a dynamic regulator rather than a simple on-off switch. By adjusting the level of inhibition, the brain can decide whether to prioritize the stability of an existing memory or the encoding of new information based on the context and the volume of information being processed.

In experiments involving mice, researchers found that lower levels of inhibition were associated with more detailed recollection and stronger retrieval under certain conditions. However, computational modeling indicated that the optimal level of inhibition shifts depending on the memory load; while lower inhibition is beneficial when the load is light, it may not be as effective when the amount of information increases significantly.