Discovery reveals how neuronal ion channels store molecular memory

Discovery reveals how neuronal ion channels store molecular memory

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.

Why do some octogenarians have exceptional memories?

Research from the University of Chicago looked at 'superagers' - people over 80 years who have the memory of someone decades younger - to try to understand why.

Molecular dynamics simulations show how potassium passes through an ion channel at atomic resolution

They are literally channels for communication: Pore-forming proteins in living cells, termed ion channels, are embedded in the outer membrane of almost all cell types and play a crucial role in the body's various communication systems. Blood, immune, and liver cells communicate via these channels. Nerve cells use them to transmit electrical signals to other cells.

The head of the Neurology Service of the University Complex of Cáceres, Dr. Ignacio Casado, stressed this Wednesday that oblivion is an "essential mechanism" and a complementary process of memory, and explained that forgetting allows prioritizing relevant information and adapting a changing world."Forgetting is a characteristic of memory, not a failure," said Casado, an academic of number from the Royal Academy of Medicine of Salamanca, during a…

Infant Amnesia? In Fact, Your Earliest Memories May Still Be There (M)

What if your baby brain held onto memories, but you just can’t retrieve them?

Brain's Gatekeepers Remember Signals to Shape Long-Term Memory

Summary: A new study reveals how calcium ion channels in the brain don’t just relay signals—they remember them. Researchers discovered that CaV2.1 channels at synapses can adopt nearly 200 shapes based on electrical activity, effectively entering a “memory state” that weakens signal transmission. These brief molecular memories accumulate over time, leading to long-term synaptic changes essential for learning and memory formation. Like a clutch i…