They are involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most severe diseases of the brain, and scientists continue to search for an effective remedy to combat it. So, American specialists managed to discover new neurons in the brain, which, presumably, are involved in the development of this disease.
A study by scientists from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the United States was published by the journal Nature. Specialists managed to discover a cell type that takes part in the formation of memory and marks the boundary between the events that a person experiences. The scientists called these cells borderline because of this mechanism. According to the study, these cells become excited when new events occur and are also likely involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Initially, experts found border cells in people with epilepsy who had electrodes inserted into their hippocampus and asked to look at different images. Dr. Uli Rutishauser explained that the goal was to prove that memory is not continuous, but is formed in separate clusters. It is noted that for this, 19 patients with electrodes watched different episodes of individual films.
Scientists noticed that 7% of the neurons in these people turned out to be border cells, and their activity peaked at the moment when something new happened on the screen. The experts explain that the activity of these cells is a signal that the brain is forming a new memory.
According to experts, the border cells marked the beginning and end of the scenes, and then stored memories of them. Scientists believe that in this way the brain collects pieces of memories into a separate story. According to Dr. Rutishauser, in a similar way, photos are grouped in smartphone folders, and the key photo becomes the cover of the event.
Experts believe that the whole process is related to the firing of borderline and event cells, and the brain uses them as markers for “skimming” memories. The hippocampus and its surrounding regions are key to creating new memories, according to the study. In addition, scientists noted that it is the hippocampus that decides what to remember and what not.
According to scientists, this is a fundamental discovery that clarifies the work of memory and the process of creating and storing memories. The study also made it possible to clarify the mechanisms of development of various memory disorders. Experts believe that the data obtained as a result of the experiments will allow the development of new treatments for these ailments. The researchers plan to use theta stimulation and the chemical dopamine to develop a new treatment for Alzheimer’s in the future.
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