Neuroscientists from New York University and the University
of California, Irvine have isolated the “when” and “where” of molecular
activity that occurs in the formation of short-, intermediate-, and long-term
memories. Their findings, which appear in the journal the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, offer new insights into the molecular architecture
of memory formation and, with it, a better roadmap for developing therapeutic
interventions for related afflictions.
“Our findings provide a deeper understanding of how memories
are created,” explained the research team leader Thomas Carew, a professor in
NYU’s Center for Neural Science and dean of NYU’s Faculty of Arts and Science.
“Memory formation is not simply a matter of turning molecules on and off;
rather, it results from a complex temporal and spatial relationship of
molecular interaction and movement.”