Newly identified brain circuit hints at how fear memories are made
Working with rats, researchers reveal the shifting neural circuitry behind the recall of unpleasant experiences
Scientists have identified a previously unknown set of brain connections that play an important role in how fear memories are stored and recalled. The discovery may lead to a better understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety problems.
Two teams of researchers independently found the newly identified brain-cell circuit when studying rodents’ ability to recall a fear memory. The circuit that initially recalled the memory differed from the circuit that retrieved the memory days later, the researchers report in two papers online January 19 in Nature. It is the first time scientists have shown that a memory can be on temporary hold in one area of the brain and later released to a completely separate spot.