Why Certain Smells Can Trigger Vivid Memories • Earth.com



[ad_1]

We store information about time and space in the same area of ​​our brain that processes odors, which is potentially the reason that some odors may result in a RAM reminder. Feeling the freshly cut grbad can take you back to playing in the front yard as a child, or a puff of perfume can remind you of your high school girlfriend.

"When these elements combine, a memory at any time is formed," says Dr. Afif Aqrabawi of University of Toronto .

Aqrabawi and a team of researchers at the University of Toronto studied mice to understand why certain odors trigger this memory recall. Mice are known to have a preference for finding new smells.

"When they lose that preference, it is implied that they no longer remember the smell even though they have already sniffed it, so they continue to feel some as if it was the first time, "says Aqrabawi. nerve endings between rodent brain regions badociated with memory and odor processing. The mice then return to smells that they had already smelled and sniff them longer.

"We now understand what circuits in the brain govern memory for smell," says Aqrabawi. "The circuit can now serve as a model for studying aspects of human memory and memory deficits of odors observed in neurodegenerative diseases."

These findings could help diagnose Alzheimer's disease quickly. begins to decline. Tests that evaluate the sense of smell of people with Alzheimer's disease could be faster, easier, and less expensive than current diagnostic methods. If better preventive treatments are discovered in the future, the quick and simple diagnosis will become even more important for those who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases. Connor Ertz Earth.com Staff Writer

Subjects: Memory

[ad_2]
Source link