A group of scientists at the University of California have successfully modified, erased, and reactivated the memories of a group of rats. They were able to do this by selectively weakening or strengthening selected brain stimulus.
They set up this experiment by making the rats afraid of light by giving them a shock every time they saw light. Next, the scientists effectively erased that memory and the rats no longer demonstrated any fear at light. Afterwards, the scientists reactivated the memory and the rats showed fear to the light once again.
This really shows how science can be really cool because I never thought that memories could be altered. I think this definitely broadens the horizon for cures for diseases like Alzheimer's.
NoS Characteristics:
Science is collaborative
Science is based on evidence
Role of motivation and curiosity
Great article! I further researched into this article and found that in terms of potential clinical applications henoted that the beta amyloid peptide, that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, weakens synaptic connections in a similar was that low-frequency stimulation erased memories in the rats. His work shows that we can reverse any processess that weaken the synapses. We may be able to reverse the counteract some of the beta amyloid's effects in Alzheimer's patients
ReplyDeleteWow, really interesting subject! Just like you talked about, this article most obviously could be extrapolated to curing Alzheimer and other such memory diseases. I personally have a grandfather who is currently suffering from Alzheimers, and it is a very hard process to watch. If there was a surgery or procedure that could reactivate memories with just the flip of a switch, it would be ground breaking. With more research this could truly change one of the scariest diseases for the elderly.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Also, another possible NOS theme could be role of credibility, since the scientist quoted in the article has a ph.D., but he's the only one mentioned in the article. They say "a group of scientists" from the University of California, but don't give the names of anyone in the group.
ReplyDeleteReinstating old memories would be a groundbreaking scientific advancement. Not only could this help with Alzheimers patients, but it could help with reversing memory loss in concussion patients. I think it is amazing that the field of neuroscience is making such huge discoveries!
ReplyDeleteThis research will be very useful in helping people with Alzheimer's disease. Also it can help normal people who are very forgetful. I think that this research will also cure people who experience memory loss because of concussions.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a very interesting article and research topic. I believe that this is a great breakthrough in the field of science. I think this discovery can help people that are very forgetful and people with Alzheimer's. I think that this could be very helpful in assisting people remember important information.
ReplyDelete