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hippocampus

·June 16, 2025·7 min read

Brain Cells Tune to Multiple Rhythms Like a Neural Radio

New research reveals that individual neurons in the hippocampus can respond to both slow and fast brain waves at the same time by switching between different firing modes. This process, called interleaved resonance, allows brain cells to encode complex information by using bursts for slower theta waves and single spikes for faster gamma waves.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 21, 2025·6 min read

How the Brain Stores and Edits Memories

A new scientific review maps the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind memory formation, consolidation, generalization, and updating—revealing how memories are stored, altered, and even manipulated in the brain. Key breakthroughs now allow scientists to visualize and activate specific neurons involved in memory, offering deeper insight into how learning occurs and how fear memories may become overgeneralized in disorders like PTSD.

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·May 11, 2025·5 min read

Teen Obesity Linked to Brain Changes in Memory and Emotion Centers

A major new study shows that adolescents with abdominal obesity have significantly larger brain regions involved in memory and emotional regulation, raising concerns about how obesity affects brain development. MRI scans revealed that the hippocampus and amygdala were enlarged in teens with obesity, especially those with high waist-to-height ratios.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·5 min read

Dopamine’s Hidden Role in Anxiety Revealed

Dopamine receptors in the ventral hippocampus play a critical role in balancing approach and avoidance behaviors, expanding understanding beyond dopamine’s known functions in reward and motivation. By studying D1 and D2 receptor-expressing neurons in mice, researchers found these receptors govern opposing emotional responses under stress.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 8, 2025·4 min read

Blood Flow Boosts Brain Stiffness in Key Memory Region

Researchers have discovered that increased blood flow is linked to greater stiffness in the hippocampus, the brain region vital for memory and learning. This is significant because the hippocampus is among the first regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

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·March 20, 2025·7 min read

Brain’s Memory Maps Constantly Evolve to Capture Changing Experiences

A new study reveals that memory-related brain activity continues to shift even after learning, challenging traditional views of stable neural representations. Researchers analyzed hippocampal neurons in mice and found that their "place cells," which encode spatial memory, subtly changed each time the mice revisited a familiar environment.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 8, 2025·7 min read

Mitochondria’s Role in Social Memory May Offer Clues to Brain Disorder

Researchers have identified a unique mitochondrial process in CA2 neurons that supports learning, memory, and social recognition. Mitochondria in different parts of these neurons vary in structure and function, with those at the outermost synapses relying on the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) for plasticity. Deleting the MCU gene disrupted this plasticity, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining neural connectivity.

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·December 11, 2024·8 min read

Distinctive Neural Wiring Enhances Memory Storage

A new study has revealed distinct features of the human hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory storage and retrieval, challenging the assumption that it functions like a scaled-up mouse brain. By analyzing living brain tissue from epilepsy patients, researchers found that human hippocampal CA3 neurons exhibit sparse yet highly reliable connections, optimizing memory storage and retrieval. Unlike rodent brains, these unique wiring patterns enable the human brain to encode associative memories with greater efficiency.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 4, 2024·6 min read

Newly Discovered Brain Circuit Predicts Response to Stress

Researchers identified a brain circuit involving the amygdala and hippocampus that predicts resilience to stress in mice. Mice with disrupted neural communication in this circuit struggled to seek rewards, but activating the neurons restored resilience and improved decision-making.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 27, 2024·3 min read

Brain’s “Traffic Controllers” Hold Key to Learning and Memory

A new study reveals how interneurons, brain cells that regulate the firing of other neurons, act as traffic controllers in the hippocampus, a region critical for learning and memory. Researchers found that activating a single interneuron triggered synchronized brain cell activity during rest, potentially aiding memory formation. This discovery highlights how interneurons influence brain rhythms and suggests their dysfunction may contribute to disorders like epilepsy, autism, and schizophrenia. These findings could lead to targeted therapies for neurological conditions linked to abnormal brain rhythms.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 21, 2024·10 min read

3D Brain Models Unlock New Insights Into Memory and Connectivity

Researchers have developed the most detailed 3D computational models of key brain regions, including the hippocampus and sensory cortices, to better understand their roles in memory formation and connectivity. These models integrate anatomical and physiological data, capturing synaptic plasticity and long-range interactions. By simulating brain activity, the models enable predictions about cortical processing and provide tools for future experimental validation.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 20, 2024·7 min read

Mapping Memory: Unveiling Molecular Signals in the Hippocampus

A recent study uncovers molecular mechanisms driving memory formation in the hippocampus, focusing on mossy fiber synapses. Researchers observed key proteins, Cav2.1 and Munc13, rearrange during memory processing, enhancing synapse precision and power.