A groundbreaking new study from the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience is challenging long-held beliefs about how our brains form memories. The research suggests that long-term memories can be created independently of short-term memories, opening up exciting possibilities for understanding and treating memory-related conditions.
For years, scientists believed that short-term memories served as a crucial stepping stone to long-term memory formation. Think of it like a temporary exhibit in our brains, showcasing recent experiences before they are either discarded or transferred to a more permanent collection – our long-term memory.
though, the Max Planck team’s experiments on mice revealed a surprising twist. By blocking the formation of short-term memories, they found that the mice were still able to form long-term memories. “This discovery is akin to finding a secret pathway to a permanent gallery in the brain,” said Dr. Myung Eun Shin, the study’s led author.
“The prevailing theory suggested a single pathway, where short-term memories were consolidated into long-term memories. However, we now have strong evidence of at least two distinct pathways to memory formation—one dedicated to short-term memories and another to long-term memories. This could mean our brains are more resilient than previously thought.”
this discovery has profound implications for understanding conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline, where short-term memory is frequently enough affected. If long-term memories can be formed independently,it suggests that there might potentially be ways to preserve these precious memories even when short-term memory is impaired.
The Max Planck team is now delving deeper into this parallel pathway, hoping to uncover the specific mechanisms involved. Their findings could pave the way for new therapies and interventions aimed at strengthening long-term memory formation, offering hope for individuals struggling with memory loss.
A groundbreaking study has challenged the long-held belief that short-term memory is a prerequisite for long-term memory formation. Researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have discovered a surprising phenomenon: blocking short-term memory in mice did not prevent the formation of long-term memories.
The team, led by Dr. Myung Eun Shin and Dr. Ryohei Yasuda, focused on a crucial enzyme in neurons called CaMKII, which plays a vital role in short-term memory formation. Using an innovative optogenetic technique, they were able to temporarily deactivate CaMKII with light, effectively disrupting short-term memory in mice.
In a classic behavioral test, mice were placed in a brightly lit environment with the option to enter a dark space. Mice naturally prefer darkness, but if they experience a frightening event in the dark space, they will avoid it in the future.When the researchers blocked short-term memory formation, mice that had a frightening experience an hour earlier still entered the dark space, suggesting they had no recollection of the event.
“We were initially quite surprised by this observation, as it was inconsistent with how we thought memories were formed.we didn’t think it was possible to have a long-term memory of an event without a short-term memory,” Dr. Shin explained.
Though, the surprise deepened when the researchers observed that these same mice, who seemingly forgot the frightening experience an hour later, began avoiding the dark space a day, a week, or even a month later.This indicated that they had indeed formed a long-term memory of the event,despite the initial disruption of short-term memory.
“Rather than long-term memory formation being a linear process, that requires short-term memory, a parallel pathway to long-term memory formation that bypasses short-term memory must exist,” Dr. Shin concluded.
This discovery has profound implications for our understanding of memory and could pave the way for new treatments for memory disorders. “We are now investigating how this newly discovered pathway to long-term memory formation occurs. We are excited to see what we can learn and what this could mean for preserving long-term memory retention, even when short-term memory is compromised by aging or cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Yasuda.
About this Memory and Neuroscience Research News
Table of Contents
Author: Lesley Colgan
Source: Max Planck Florida
Contact: Lesley colgan – Max Planck Florida
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“Formation of long-term memory without short-term memory revealed by CaMKII inhibition” by Myung Eun Shin et al. Nature Neuroscience
Abstract
Formation of long-term memory without short-term memory revealed by CaMKII inhibition
Long-term memory (LTM) consolidation is thought to require the prior establishment of short-term memory (STM).
New research sheds light on the intricate workings of memory formation, specifically the role of a protein called CaMKII in shaping short-term and long-term memories.
Scientists have discovered that inhibiting CaMKII activity disrupts the formation of short-term memories (STM) in mice just one hour after they learn to avoid an unpleasant stimulus. However, this inhibition had no impact on long-term memories (LTM) formed 24 hours after the same learning experience.
“Here we show that optogenetic or genetic CaMKII inhibition impairs STM for an inhibitory avoidance task at 1 h but not LTM at 1 day in mice.”
Further investigation revealed that the strengthening of connections between the cortex and amygdala, a brain region crucial for emotional processing, was also more susceptible to CaMKII inhibition shortly after training compared to a day later.
“Similarly, cortico-amygdala synaptic potentiation was more sensitive to CaMKII inhibition at 1 h than at 1 day after training.”
These findings suggest a fascinating distinction between STM and LTM: long-term memories don’t necessarily rely on the initial formation of short-term memories. moreover,CaMKII-dependent plasticity appears to play a specific and crucial role in shaping short-term avoidance memories.
“Thus, LTM does not require the formation of STM, and CaMKII-dependent plasticity specifically regulates STM for avoidance memory.”
## Turning the Tables on Memory: Interview with Dr. Myung Eun Shin
**World-Today-News:** Dr. Shin, thank you for joining us today.Your research team’s groundbreaking findings on memory formation have generated quite a buzz. Could you elaborate on this paradigm shift in our understanding of how memories are formed?
**Dr. Shin:** Absolutely. For decades, the prevalent theory in neuroscience suggested that short-term memory served as a crucial steppingstone for long-term memory formation. It was believed that experiences were first encoded in short-term memory, then consolidated and transferred into long-term storage.
**World-Today-News:** So, it was thought to be a linear process?
**Dr. Shin:** Exactly. But our research has challenged this long-held belief. We discovered that long-term memories can be formed independently of short-term memories, suggesting the presence of a previously unknown pathway.
**World-Today-News:** How did you arrive at this conclusion?
**Dr. Shin:** Our team focused on a key enzyme called CaMKII, which plays a vital role in short-term memory formation. Using an innovative optogenetic technique, we temporarily disabled CaMKII in mice, effectively blocking short-term memory.
**World-Today-News:** And what did you observe?
**Dr. Shin:** The results were truly surprising. While the mice couldn’t recall a recent frightening experience due to the blocked short-term memory, they demonstrated avoidance of the associated location days, weeks, even months later. This indicated that they had formed a long-term memory of the event without relying on the initial short-term memory.
**World-Today-News:**
So,there essentially exist two separate pathways?
**Dr. Shin:** Precisely. This finding revolutionizes our understanding of memory. Instead of a single linear pathway, we now know there are at least two distinct routes to long-term memory, one dedicated to short-term recall and another that bypasses it altogether.
**World-Today-News:** What are the implications of this finding for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, where short-term memory is often the first to be affected?
**Dr. Shin:** This discovery carries profound implications. If long-term memories can form independently of short-term memory, it suggests that even when short-term recall is impaired, these precious enduring memories might remain intact. This opens up exciting possibilities for developing therapies that could preserve long-term memories in individuals suffering from cognitive decline.
**World-Today-News:** What are the next steps in your research?
**Dr. Shin:** Our team is now actively investigating the precise mechanisms involved in this newly discovered pathway.We aim to unravel the intricate details of how long-term memories are formed without relying on short-term memory.This knowledge could pave the way for innovative treatments and interventions aimed at strengthening this independent pathway and preserving long-term memory, offering hope for millions facing memory loss.
**World-today-News:** Dr. Shin, this is truly groundbreaking work.Thank you for sharing your insights and potentially changing the way we understand and treat memory disorders.
