Researchers now report a new learning mechanism in the brain that calls into question the widely accepted view of how memories are formed and stored. Their findings could lend insight into the process underlying how humans are able to remember new places and the events that take place there. Previous work suggested that the development of memory is the result of strengthened neural networks stemming from closely linked nerve cell activities. This principle is referred to as the Hebbian learning rule which postulates that "neurons wire together, if they fire together." Short bursts (tens of milliseconds) of interconnected neuron stimulation improve signal transmission (called long-term potentiation, or LTP). In contrast, Katie Bittner and colleagues identified another type of learning rule called behavioral time scale synaptic plasticity (BTSP), which spans a considerably longer time period (seconds). The result implies that no causal relationship of interconnected neurons is required to form long-lasting associations between them. The authors say that this lengthier time scale allows for the storage of an entire sequence of events (such as places traversed) and leads to an overrepresentation of behaviorally important places, such as reward locations. A related Perspective by Julija Krupic discusses the study in greater detail, and offers additional insight into the potential uses of BTSP learning.
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Journal
Science