Neuroscientists report the first results from experimental tests designed to explore the idea that 'forgetting' might not be a bad thing, and that it may represent a form of learning -- and outline results that support their core idea. Seemingly lost memories can be retrieved and updated by environmental cues, which means this research has implications for a range of diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Neuroscientists today report the first results from experimental tests designed to explore the idea that"forgetting" might not be a bad thing, and that it may represent a form of learning -- and outline results that support their core idea.
In a changing world like the one we and many other organisms live in, forgetting some memories would be beneficial, they reasoned, as this can lead to more flexible behaviour and better decision-making. If memories were gained in circumstances that are not wholly relevant to the current environment, forgetting them could be a positive change that improves our wellbeing.
Dr Tomás Ryan, Associate Professor in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology and the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, is lead author of the just-published journal article.Dr Ryan,whose research team is based in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute , said: Dr Livia Autore, Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholar, who spearheaded this work in the Ryan Lab in Trinity, added:
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Several vaccines associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease in adults 65 and older -- ScienceDailyPrior vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis (Tdap/Td); herpes zoster (HZ), better known as shingles; and pneumococcus are all associated with a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research.
Read more »
Human Quirks News -- ScienceDailyQuirky stories from ScienceDaily's Health & Medicine, Mind & Brain, and Living Well sections.
Read more »
Bizarre Things News -- ScienceDailyQuirky stories from ScienceDaily's Space & Time, Matter & Energy, and Computers & Math sections.
Read more »
Odd Creatures News -- ScienceDailyQuirky stories from ScienceDaily's Plants & Animals, Earth & Climate, and Fossils & Ruins sections.
Read more »
Weird World News -- ScienceDailyQuirky stories from ScienceDaily's Science & Society, Business & Industry, and Education & Learning sections.
Read more »
Brain recordings capture musicality of speech -- with help from Pink Floyd: Neuroscientists decode song from brain recordings, revealing areas dealing with rhythm and vocals -- ScienceDailyFor those with neurological or developmental disorders compromising speech, brain machine interfaces could help them communicate. But today's interfaces are slow and, from electrodes placed on the scalp, can detect letters only. The speech generated is robotic and affectless. Neuroscientists have now shown that they can reconstruct the song a person is hearing from brain recordings alone, holding out the possibility of reconstructing not only words but the musicality of speech, which also conveys meaning.
Read more »