memory

Although the human brain remains a great unknown, little by little scientists are unraveling the mysteries of our mind. A team from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, has discovered a molecule in the absence of which the memory of mammals multiplies.

Fish, meat, milk, and eggs are the main sources of vitamin B12. A lack of this substance in the diet can cause the brain to lose brain cells and develop cognitive problems, according to a study published in "Neurology," the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

David M. Eagleman, a neuroscientist at the Baylor School of Medicine, has specialized in studying the phenomena related to the perception of time by the human brain. And after several studies with functional magnetic resonance imaging, he has come to the conclusion that when an experience is new or surprising, the activation of our neurons to register it increases.

What do memory-forming cells in your brain need to communicate properly? Zinc, according to a study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center in Durham and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Researchers have been able to observe zinc in action while regulating communication between neurons in the hippocampus, where learning and memory processes occur and where a disturbance in communication can contribute to epilepsy.

This is deduced from an experiment coordinated by scientists from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland) and McMaster University (Canada) in which a group of 45 women were asked to observe the images of different objects while listening to their name with different voices, male and female, bass and treble, modified with a computer program.

Those who claim that smoking keeps their memory more alert have just run out of arguments for not giving up cigarettes. A new experiment conducted by Northumbria University (United Kingdom) reveals that smokers who quit tobacco go from remembering 59% of the tasks in a prospective memory test to remembering 74%.

Women who use the pill to prevent pregnancy may experience memory disturbances, according to a study by the University of California at Irvine (USA). Specifically, this drug enhances emotional memories, but reduces the ability to retain details.

Canadian researchers have found evidence that as we age, our brains learn better from mistakes. In a study published in the journal Psychology and Aging, researchers say that when adults are learning conceptual material, they can establish better relationships between mistakes and correct information, which helps them remember.