How do traumatic memories affect the brain? Research
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Researchers have identified neural networks in the brain that are engaged when recalling traumatic events.
The results of research by scientists from the National Institute of Physiological Sciences (NIPS) were published in Nature Communications, writes MedicalXpress.
Scientists have investigated that one of the areas of the prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) is critical for restoring associative fear memory in rodents.
“The dmPFC shows specific neural activation and synchronization during fear memory retrieval and evoked fear responses. In particular, freezing and slowing of the heart rate”– explained the lead author of the study, Masakazu Agesuma.
| Photo: Camrocker/Depositphotos |
He added that artificially suppressing the dmPFC in mice suppressed the fear response. This indicates that this area is required for the recall of associative fear memory.
“Because it is linked to brain systems involved in learning and related mental illnesses, we wanted to investigate exactly how the dmPFC changes and regulates new associative memory information“, the scientist continued.
The researchers found out that prefrontal neurons behave in a very complex way: each of them reacts differently to sensations and movements.
Then the scientists developed a new analytical method based on the “elastic network”. They used a machine learning algorithm to determine which specific neurons encode the fear memory.
After receiving the results, the scientists analyzed the spatial location and functional connection of neurons using graphic modeling.
“We successfully identified a neural population that encodes fear memory. Our analysis showed us that fear conditioning induced the formation of a fear-memory neural network with hub neurons that functionally connected memory neurons.”says Agesuma.
So scientists were able to find direct evidence that the formation of associative memory was accompanied by a new associative link between a conditioned (for example, a tone) and an unconditioned (for example, a traumatic experience) stimulus.
“We hypothesize that this newly discovered relationship may contribute to information processing by eliciting a fear response (CR) to the CS (i.e., a neural network for CS-to-CR conversion).”the scientists explained.
For a long time, it was believed that memory is formed through the strengthening of neural connections, which are strengthened by the repeated activation of groups of neurons. The results of this study confirm this.
Read also: The load on the brain in old age can reduce the risk of developing dementia – scientists
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