Lost or Found

A new research is being made about memory. Many people have problems with memory loss. This research has done tests on rats with amnesia. The only way the rats would  have reverse amnesia was when there were reminders placed in front of them. "Previous research in this area found that when you recall a memory it is sensitive to interference to other information and in some cases is completely wiped out." With this knowledge it is hoped to find a type of treatment that could be developed for anyone with any memory disorder. " However, these animal models do accurately reflect what's happening in humans and suggest that out autobiographical memories, our self-histories, are clouded by new memories rather than actually lost. This is an exciting prospect in terms of treating psychiatric illness associated with memory disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and psychosis."

Personally having family with memory loss problems, this brings hope into my family. Although its not completely proven in humans knowing that there is some hope brings happiness to my family. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150804073706.htm

Giant Neurons in Crabs Encode Complex Memories

In this study it was learned that the Chasmagnathus granulatus crab has a suprisingly complex memory which requires multiple brain regions. Neuroscientists at the University of Buenos Aires used cardboard cutouts of seagulls to test crabs’ memory skills. They found that the crabs could recognize the cardboard seagulls and figure out that they were nonthreatening. Implying that they are able to apply learned knowledge and retain that information. They still recognized the cutouts as nonthreatening even after a 24 hour period.The researchers tied the crabs’ behavior to lobula giant neurons, a type of brain cell found in crustaceans. And the other habits like remembering the environment and locations of threats or food come from other parts of their brain. One researcher even said if they could understand the memory of such basic animals then they could begin to understand that of a more complex being. This article was found at:http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=clever-crustaceans

Paper Wasps Learning faces

Like humans a test has been run according to this article that Paper Wasps can now learn faces just like humans can. This is what appears to be the first insect to demonstrate this ability of such specialized visual learning. The Paper Wasp can recognize a member of its species from its facial markings to determine whether it is the same species as them or not. When there is a face that is not recognizable to their same species they become more agressive. They also have very good memory and they usually determine their behavior based off of a previous encounter with that species. They also ran field tests with the wasps and it basically had them determine a normal wasp face picture, a computer altered wasp face picture, a caterpillar picture, and a picture of simple geometric patterns. According to the field test the wasps picked correctly 75 percent of the time. Its amazing to see the potential the brain has, even if it isn't the human brain.

When the Brain Remembers but the Patient Doesn’t

This article from Science Daily discusses how the unconscious brain is able to function without the availability of the conscious brain. In one case, a patient survived an accident with brain damage and face blindness. To test her unconscious brain, doctors showed her images of familiar faces, unknown faces, and celebrity faces. They included new celebrities, as well as those who were famous before the patient’s accident.

The patient was not able to recognize the famous faces, however, her brain responded to the celebrities from before her accident. Professor Pegna concludes, “implicit processing might continue to occur despite the presence of an apparent impairment in conscious processing.” As long as a person’s cerebral structures are in a certain order (regarding time), then he will be able to respond to visual stimuli.

I think it is amazing how a person’s memory—from the time of the accident and beyond—may be damaged, but the memories that were established prior to the accident are still in tact. We can see here that just because a person with brain damage may not outwardly communicate visual awareness to doctors does not mean the brain is unresponsive. Ultimately, we can learn how important physiological testing is to learning about the condition of the brain.

Photograph: http://www.molwick.com/en/brain/025-human-brain-structure.html

Computers and Our Memory

According to the New York Times, a recent study suggests that the internet and technology have significant effects on human memory. Scientists, led by Betsy Sparrow of Columbia University, conducted experiments testing the effect of technology on human memory. One test had participants type 40 pieces of trivia into a computer. They led half of the participants to believe that the trivia would be saved and the other half to believe that the trivia would be deleted. They found that the participants were a lot more likely to remember the trivia if they thought it would be deleted. Another test examined how computers affect what exactly we remember. The subjects were asked to remember specific facts and which of five folders on the computer they were saved in. The researchers found that the test subjects remembered the folder instead of the fact.

The experiment dives into what is called transactive memory. This theory suggests that people rely on other people and reference materials to store information instead of trying to remember this information themselves. Dr. Sparrow concluded that the Internet has become the number one source for external storage of information.

This article was interesting because technology and the age of the internet has taken over the world. There is no shortage of how and when we can retrieve information. This article raises some significant points. Are we becoming too dependent on technology to store information? Can this, in the long term, affect humans negatively? For all the advantages of the internet and computers, there are still some questions that linger.

PHOTO: http://hplusmagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/articles/mar10/man-inserting-memory-card-in-brain.jpg