Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Gateway to human memory in brain identified

Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Nov, 2014 12:42 PM
    An international team has successfully determined with a level of precision never achieved before the location in the brain where memories are generated.
     
    The team was able to pinpoint this location down to specific circuits of the human brain.
     
    The results and method of the study is likely to assist in acquiring a better understanding of the effects Alzheimer's disease has on the brain.
     
    "We have been able to locate the generation of human memories to certain neuronal layers within the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. We were able to determine which neuronal layer was active," explained Emrah Duzel, director, Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research at University of Magdeburg, Germany.
     
    For their study, the scientists used a particularly accurate type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.
     
    They examined the brains of persons who had volunteered to participate in a memory test.
     
    "Previously used MRI techniques were not precise enough to capture this directional information. Hence, this is the first time we have been able to show where in the brain the doorway to memory is located," noted Duzel.
     
    They used a special type of magnetic resonance imaging technology called "7 Tesla ultra-high field MRI."
     
    This enabled them to determine the activity of individual brain regions with unprecedented accuracy.
     
    "This measuring technique allows us to track the flow of information inside the brain and examine the areas that are involved in the processing of memories in great detail," stressed Duzel.
     
    The study appeared in the journal Nature Communications.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Young women smokers at chronic period pain risk

    Young women smokers at chronic period pain risk
    Women who take up smoking during their teenage years run a significantly heightened risk of developing chronic severe period pain, finds new research....

    Young women smokers at chronic period pain risk

    Lowering cholesterol with drugs good for heart: Study

    Lowering cholesterol with drugs good for heart: Study
    A popular but controversial cholesterol drug called Ezetimibe has been found to lower the number of cardiovascular events by 6.4 percent when administered...

    Lowering cholesterol with drugs good for heart: Study

    Common antibacterial in soap may harm liver

    Common antibacterial in soap may harm liver
    Long-term exposure to triclosan, found in soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and many other household items, may cause liver fibrosis and cancer, an alarming study suggests....

    Common antibacterial in soap may harm liver

    A new smartphone that can print selfies in seconds

    A new smartphone that can print selfies in seconds
    A French company has developed a brand new smartphone case that can print selfies from the phone itself in less than a minute....

    A new smartphone that can print selfies in seconds

    Menthol and nicotine harmful for lungs: Study

    Menthol and nicotine harmful for lungs: Study
    Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have found that menthol acts in combination with nicotine to desensitise receptors in lungs' ...

    Menthol and nicotine harmful for lungs: Study

    Reduce salt intake for better kidney health

    Reduce salt intake for better kidney health
    The researchers found high sodium intake (an average of 4.7g a day) is linked with an increased risk of needing dialysis, but no benefit was seen for low sodium intake (average 2g a day)....

    Reduce salt intake for better kidney health