When the activity of the transcription factor CREB increases in the brain, in the brain what scientists call 'long-term potentiation' increases, a phenomenon related to memory and the formation of memories . These are the results of a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience .
The researchers, from the Pablo de Olavide University (Seville), analyzed the effect of the activation of the CREB protein in animals during learning. This is the first study of these characteristics, since previous studies had used isolated brain tissue. The results have confirmed that CREB regulates neuronal plasticity, that is, the ability of brain cells to modify their connections in response to external stimuli, thus promoting both learning and memory and the formation of memories.
The CREB protein is therefore closely related to the phenomenon of long-term potentiation , which consists of an increase in the synaptic connection between two neurons. This connection lasts over time, and forms memories and long-term memory. In addition, the new study has revealed that, although the activation of CREB enhances learning at first, if it remains high for too long it can end up interfering in it.
