In a discovery that could reshape how we think about memory, researchers at Flinders University have found that forgetting is not just a glitch in the brain but is actually a finely tuned process, and dopamine is the key.
In a discovery that could reshape how we think about memory, researchers at Flinders University have found that forgetting is not just a glitch in the brain but is actually a finely tuned process, and dopamine is the key.
Led by neuroscientist Dr Yee Lian Chew and PhD student Anna McMillen, from Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), the research team has shown that the brain actively forgets using the same chemical that helps us learn, dopamine.
Published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, the study used tiny worms called Caenorhabditis elegans – one millimetre long with only 300 neurons, yet 80% genetically identical to humans – to explore how memories fade.
These microscopic creatures might seem worlds apart from humans, but their brains share many of the same molecular pathways that makes them perfect for studying brain pathways including memory.
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