The largest scientific discovery complemented the leading theory of memory after researchers discovered that the brain can “silently” store information, creating ghostly memories that are not neural in nature.
Two types of memory
The existence of two types of memory is widely recognized. The first of these is known as working memory. It is activated when we process new information, store it in our mind, and focus on it so that we do not forget. This process is largely controlled by the hippocampus, in which neurons function continuously. We keep our focus on what we are trying to remember.
However, long-term memories are stored in cortical areas of the brain and are encrypted in specific neural pathways called engrams. They become active only when we retrieve these specific memories.
The third type of memory
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In a new scientific study, published in the journal Science, neuroscientists report the discovery of a third type of memory, which they call "priority long-term memory." The main difference between this type and the two main ones discovered earlier is that data belonging to the new type can in fact be stored anywhere in the brain and can be recalled as needed.
Interesting experience
The team of scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging to monitor the participants' brains. The subjects examined a series of words, faces and forms. Thanks to the MRI algorithm, the researchers were able to identify specific patterns in the activity of the cerebral hemispheres associated with each of these stimuli.
Then the subjects were shown paired objects, which simultaneously caused two different types of brain activity. When the participants were asked to focus on only one of these items and ignore the other, one of these patterns disappeared, indicating that it was removed from working memory.
Scientists believe that working memory requires neurons to function continuously. Nevertheless, despite this, the subjects still kept this forgotten object in their memory. People's responses to questions about what they saw indicate that images of objects still exist in some part of their brain, although no neurons seem to indicate this fact.
“People have always thought that neurons had to function all the time in order to keep something in memory,” explained study co-author Bradley Postle. "But we see people remembering almost nothing without showing any activity related to neurons."
The mechanism of the third type of memory is not fully understood
The study authors also found that by stimulating the brain with magnetic impulses that were associated with these faded memories, they were able to resurrect patterns of activity that occurred while participants initially focused on these objects. This made them remember these incentives.
Although the researchers cannot explain exactly what is happening in the hemispheres of the brain, they suspect that phantom memory is based on "active-silent" mechanisms by which information is somehow stored in the synapses between neurons, even when these neurons show no activity. …
Maya Muzashvili