Some memories are best forgotten. Granted, this observation is unlikely to make you feel better if you’re running late for work because you can’t remember where you put your keys… but when we’re talking about memories associated with addictive substances, the possible issues around this become clearer. A new study has uncovered the mechanism that allows the brain to latch on to these stubborn
“A fundamental operation of the brain is to internally represent information related to life experience in our environment,” said first author Dr Charlie Clarke-Williams of the University of Oxford in a
Recreational drugs like cocaine, which played a role in
While
Clarke-Williams and the team suggest that the abnormal strength of these memories could be down to them taking advantage of cooperation between multiple brain regions. They tested their theory in mice by monitoring five regions of their brains at the same time: the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and ventral tegmental area.
As the mice were exposed to cocaine in a five-stage experiment lasting several days, the authors observed that simultaneous spikes in activity across all of these brain regions were predictive of robust memory formation. Toning down this activity changed the behavior of the mice, stopping them from seeking the cocaine in the same way.
Understanding the system within the brain that causes these memories to linger opens up the possibility of targeting it with treatments to help those in
“Recreational drug use is a widespread problem in our society, impacting the lives of many people and placing a strain on our healthcare system. Memories should be balanced. Weak memories are often observed in aging or
“Strong memories that can drive inappropriate actions are seen in a wide range of brain conditions, such as drug addiction or
The study is published in the journal