Researchers have discovered how an ion channel in the brain’s neurons has a kind of ‘molecular memory’, which contributes to the formation and preservation of lifelong memories. The researchers have identified a specific part of the ion channel at which new drugs for certain genetic diseases could be targeted. The study, led from Linköping University in Sweden, has been published in Nature Communications.
One of the brain’s superpowers is its ability to learn from past experiences and form memories. These vital processes depend on the reshaping of connections between neurons in the brain. Nerve junctions, called synapses, are strengthened or weakened throughout life in such a way that the brain is, in a certain sense, constantly being reshaped at the cellular level. This phenomenon is called synaptic…