“The inner workings of memory storage”

The man who lost everything everyday.

Before we dive into all the aspects of memory techniques, we first need to understand WHAT a memory is.

Throughout history, we have found that the progress of science is usually based on an unfortunate few. The case of Henry Molaison is what laid the foundation for the establishment of structural neuroscience.

At the early age of 7 years old, H.M have a bicycle accident. Since then, he experienced multiple episodes of recurrent seizures that interfered with his way of life. He eventually moved into the field of production and worked at an assembly line but, in 1953, at the age of 27, his seizures became so debilitating that he could no longer maintain a job or lead a typical life, even with high doses of anticonvulsant medication.

At the time, the doctors proposed an experimental procedure, which previously used with psychotic patients, and after obtaining approval from the patient and his family, the surgery was performed. The procedure was a radical removal of the hippocampus, a thumb sized tissue of his brain.

His seizures were soon under control, but he started to experienced symptoms of memory loss. His memory loss was so severe that he forgot daily events nearly immediately. However, it seemed that there were no loss of general intelligence or perceptual abilities.

This led to further research into the physiology of the area known as the Hippocampus of the brain.

And so began the start of a few questions that needed to be answered.

1. Is this where are memories are stored?
2. HOW are they stored?
3. Can we use this knowledge to further our understanding of human learning?

The next big step came in 1966, when the physiologyTerje Lømo discovered what was later known as Long term potentiation (LTP) in the rabbit’s hippocampus.

They found that the brain’s signaling in the hippocampus region lasted longer with repeated stimulation.

LTP is thought to be the fundamental mechanism underlying the formation of memories and the acquisition of new information. The process enables the strengthening of neural circuits, allowing us to recall memories better.

Our understanding of the hippocampus continues to evolve, and researchers delve deeper into its mysteries. While the hippocampus is key to memory formation and spatial navigation, it’s just one piece of the grand puzzle that is the human brain.

this small, seahorse-shaped structure in our brain is what brings the symphony of our experiences to life, and allow us to remember and learn.

So how we can apply this knowledge to further our strengthen our learning techniques? This will be covered in the next few articles.