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Scientists have created short-term memory "in vitro"
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Ben Strawbridge, a professor of neuroscience and physiology/biophysics, and Robert Hyde, a fourth-year student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, have discovered how to induce artificial short-term memory in isolated brain tissue.
"This is the first time that we have found a way to store information for a few seconds directly in brain tissue," said Dr. Strawbridge. "This discovery paves the way for further research into the specific brain activity that forms short-term memory."
Memory is often divided into two categories: declarative (the ability to remember facts such as names, places, and events for a short or long time) and implicit (which allows us to acquire skills and abilities, such as playing a musical instrument).
In their study, Ben Strawbridge and Robert Hyde focused on short-term declarative memory. They aimed to better understand how this type of memory, which allows us to remember things like phone numbers or email addresses, works.
Using isolated pieces of rodent brain tissue, researchers have demonstrated the ability to form short-term memory in vitro, that is, outside a living organism.
The scientists exposed brain tissue to four different stimuli. The brain's response to the stimulus was evidenced by changes in the activity of brain cells. The changes were specific to each of the four stimuli. It turned out that neural circuits contained in small isolated areas of the brain called the hippocampus maintained memory of the effect of a particular stimulus for ten seconds. The brain outside a living organism distinguished between two temporary stimuli, just as a person can distinguish between two different musical compositions.
The results of this study may have important practical implications. Analysis of the mechanisms of memory functioning should help to understand how neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease affect memory. Further research in this direction may be useful for developing new, more effective methods for treating memory disorders associated with aging.