eWEAR: Stanford scientists uncover how brain regions keep each other on track
Meeting Reports
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Apr 7, 2022
Summary
Before smartphones, memorizing phone numbers was a common necessity, often accomplished by mentally repeating the number. The brain similarly solves short-term memory problems by maintaining patterns of neuronal activity. Researchers, led by Professors Shaul Druckmann and Nuo Li, studied how this occurs in mice by engaging their short-term memory. They discovered that two brain regions, called the anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM), support each other. When one ALM was disrupted, the other sometimes maintained activity, allowing memory recovery. The team hypothesized that ALMs switch between states to either receive or block information from their partner. This discovery sheds light on brain dynamics and could help improve treatments for brain-related illnesses through targeted stimulation.
Summary
Before smartphones, memorizing phone numbers was a common necessity, often accomplished by mentally repeating the number. The brain similarly solves short-term memory problems by maintaining patterns of neuronal activity. Researchers, led by Professors Shaul Druckmann and Nuo Li, studied how this occurs in mice by engaging their short-term memory. They discovered that two brain regions, called the anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM), support each other. When one ALM was disrupted, the other sometimes maintained activity, allowing memory recovery. The team hypothesized that ALMs switch between states to either receive or block information from their partner. This discovery sheds light on brain dynamics and could help improve treatments for brain-related illnesses through targeted stimulation.
