Emotional bond with memories makes them stronger

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Erinnerungen, die mit starken Emotionen verbunden sind, werden oft im Gehirn eingebrannt. Die meisten Menschen können sich daran erinnern, wo sie am 11. September waren oder wie das Wetter am Tag der Geburt ihres ersten Kindes war. Erinnerungen an Weltereignisse am 10. September oder an das Mittagessen am vergangenen Dienstag sind längst gelöscht. Warum sind Erinnerungen an Emotionen so stark? „Es ist sinnvoll, dass wir uns nicht an alles erinnern“, sagt René Hen, PhD, Professor für Psychiatrie und Neurowissenschaften am Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons der Columbia University. „Wir haben eine begrenzte Gehirnleistung. Wir müssen uns nur daran erinnern, …
Memories associated with strong emotions are often burned into the brain. Most people can remember where they were on September 11th or how the weather was on the day of the birth of their first child. Memories of world events on September 10th or lunch last Tuesday have long been deleted. Why are memories of emotions so strong? "It makes sense that we don't remember everything," says René Hen, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. "We have a limited brain performance. We just have to remember it ... (Symbolbild/natur.wiki)

Memories associated with strong emotions are often burned into the brain.

Most people can remember where they were on September 11th or how the weather was on the day of the birth of their first child. Memories of world events on September 10th or lunch last Tuesday have long been deleted.

Why are memories of emotions so strong?

"It makes sense that we don't remember everything," says René Hen, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. "We have a limited brain performance. We just have to remember what is important for our future well -being."

In this context,

fear is not just a short feeling, but a learning experience that is crucial for our survival. If a new situation scares us, the brain records the details in our neurons to avoid similar situations in the future, or use appropriate caution.

What is still a mystery is why these memories, which were recorded by the hippocampus of the brain, are so strong.

To find out this, placed Hen and Jessica Jimenez, an MD / PhD student in Columbia, mice in new, scary environments and recorded the activity of hippocampus neurons that reach the anxiety center of the brain (the amygdala). The activity of the neurons was also recorded a day later when the mice tried to call up memories of the experience.

It is not surprising that neurons that react to the terrifying environment send this information to the anxiety center of the brain.

The following is surprisingly in the study

"What was surprising was that these neurons were synchronized when the mouse later returned the memory," says Hen.

"We have seen that it is the synchronicity that is decisive for the production of anxiety memory. The greater the synchronity, the stronger the memory," adds Jimenez. "These are the types of mechanisms that explain why they remember outstanding events."

How and when does the synchronization take place?

How and when synchronization takes place is still unknown, but the answer could reveal the inner life of the brain, create lifelong memories and lead to new treatments for post -traumatic stress disorders.

"In people with PTSB, many similar events remind them of the original scary situation," says Hen, "and it is possible that the synchronization of their neurons has become too strong."

"We really try to examine the mechanisms of the development of emotional memories to find better treatments for people with PTSD and memory disorders in general."