A team of scientists from the University of Cardiff (United Kingdom) has carried out an experiment with rats whose conclusion puts on the table that memory is much stronger than we initially believed, locating various brain processes that can help to recover memories, a priori, lost . The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications .
“Previous research had found that when you recover part of the memory it is susceptible to interfere with other information and in some cases erase it completely,” explains Kerrie Thomas, leader of the study. However, this study rivals this view. “Our research has reached the conclusion that despite using a technique that can produce total amnesia we have achieved that with strong memories the memory can be recovered “, Thomas clarifies.
The rats used in the experiment, which had caused amnesia, managed to recall those lost or forgotten memories without damaging the animals’ previous memory .
Scientists hope to replicate these results in humans , which could translate into new treatments and medications for people with memory-related disorders.
“We are still a long way from helping people with memory problems. However, we can now design new drugs or behavioral strategies that can treat these memory problems with the knowledge that we are not going to overwrite our experiences, ”Thomas concludes.
