Memories are Always in Our Mind

 Memories are Always in Our Mind  

Memories are a curtail part of our identity, they guide our behavior and remind us of past events such as birthdays, vacations, and other past actions. Memories are constantly being formed but many of them are forgotten. Individuals whose ability to form memories have been disrupted often feel isolated and life becomes difficult for them. Many debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and again in general cause cognitive dysfunctions such as memory loss. The visual system and working memory work hand in hand to enhance our ability to retrieve visual information. As people age, there is an ongoing quest for memory enhancement across the globe. In the article “Mechanisms of Memory Enhancement” Sarah A. Stern and Cristian M. Alberini discuss how targeting mechanisms such as “CREB activation, AMPA/NMDA receptor trafficking, neuromodulation (e.g., via dopamine, adrenaline, cortisol or acetylcholine) and metabolic processes (e.g., via glucose and insulin)” can lead to the enhancement of memory. In their study, Stern and Alberini capitalize on the “knowledge gained by the biological study of long-term memory formation storage” to identify how cellular and molecular mechanisms play a role in memory formation and in learning. Their research shows that memories can be enhanced after they are consolidated. This is beginning to open new avenues for developing treatments for conditions disorders. This shows that “Memory enhancement can be in fact promoted via pharmacological manipulations given in concert with reconsolidation.” Memories can be enhanced when retrieval-induced reconsolidation is targeted. This occurs by repeating retrieval session where memories can return to a labile state.  

This work connects to the work done by Sven Vanneste and other colleagues in “The peripheral effect of direct current stimulation on brain circuits involving memory”. They also studied memories but were testing how direct transcranial electrical stimulation can “activate the greater occipital nerve (ON-tDCS) and up-regulate memory performance via activation of the LC-NA pathway.” Their work focused on how activity changes enhance communication between different brain regions.  

Both articles emphasize how morphological modifications at the synapse are connected to memory formation and enhancement. Although there is little data on how the increase in NMDAR/AMPAR subunits are increased at the different stages of memory, it has been proven that they are responsible for memory enhancement.  

As science advances, there is now more information due to scientists like the ones disguised above that are interested in finding molecular pathways and the targets that enhance memories. It is important to note that there are multiple ways to enhance memories such cognitive enhancement therapies. Emotional events are better remembered than events with non-emotional significance due to the stress hormones released during the events. Memory enhancement studies have the potential to change many lives by treating diseases of the mind and aiding in the development of strategies for better leading and cognitive functions.  

 

 

 

References:  

Stern, Sarah A., and Cristina M. Alberini. “Mechanisms of Memory Enhancement.” WIREs Systems Biology and Medicine, no. 1, Wiley, Nov. 2012, pp. 37–53. Crossref, doi:10.1002/wsbm.1196. 
 

Vanneste, Sven, et al. “The Peripheral Effect of Direct Current Stimulation on Brain Circuits Involving Memory.” Science Advances, no. 45, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Nov. 2020. Crossref, doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax9538.