This is an international study that will test the role of protein expression in the stability and crystallization of memory
As of today, brain and memory researchers know that the expression of proteins in synapses (the areas of contact between nerve cells) creates structures that are stable on the one hand - and therefore we can remember long-term memories - and plastic on the other hand - and therefore we can constantly absorb new information and create new memories. However, researchers are just beginning to understand how this dichotomous structure exists when the hidden is far more than the visible. The new study will try to find out more information on this topic using imaging technologies and advanced biochemical and molecular methods that allow to follow the synapses and their protein components by measurable means.
"Research is important in two directions. On the one hand, we can begin to better understand how and why there are emotional memories that are etched too deeply, such as in psychiatric disorders related to post-traumatic syndrome. On the other hand, we will be able to better understand how and why we sometimes lose the ability to create and keep new memories, as in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's," said Prof. Rosenblum.
This is the second European grant won by Prof. Rosenblum's research group this year on the topic of understanding the biological processes underlying the creation and preservation of memories in nerve cells and the brain.
