Lab Chat: To sleep, perchance to forget?
If you wonder why we forget our dreams, new research in mice might answer that question and others related to memory. U.S. and Japanese scientists discovered that when certain neurons fire during REM sleep — when most dreams occur — they control whether the brain remembers new information. I talked to Thomas Kilduff, director of the Center for Neuroscience at SRI International and a co-author of the paper, for more.
What did you find in mice?
Mice performed more poorly on memory tasks when melanin-concentrating hormone neurons were activated, as they are during REM sleep, and better on memory tasks when these cells are turned off. Previous studies supported a role for REM sleep in forgetting, but we now identify the particular neural circuit that is responsible.
If it’s also true for people, what might that mean?
Selective activation of the MCH neuron-hippocampus neural circuit could result in the elimination of unpleasant memories as occur in PTSD.
What did you find in mice?
Mice performed more poorly on memory tasks when melanin-concentrating hormone neurons were activated, as they are during REM sleep, and better on memory tasks when these cells are turned off. Previous studies supported a role for REM sleep in forgetting, but we now identify the particular neural circuit that is responsible.
If it’s also true for people, what might that mean?
Selective activation of the MCH neuron-hippocampus neural circuit could result in the elimination of unpleasant memories as occur in PTSD.
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