The Memory Molecule

The article "Memories are made of this molecule..." from the magazine New Scientist (Jan 13-19 2007) discusses how memories are formed at the molecular level. The molecule that is the focus of this article is called TrkB. It is found on the surface of brain cells in the hippocampus and is involved in the initiation of signaling pathways of a memory/learning process called long-term potentiation (LTP). In LTP, the strength of the connections between brain cells are increased as they are used more and more. Scientists from Italy and Spain who studied mice, recently discovered the involvement of TrkB in LTP. These scientists measured the LTP activity in the hippocampus of mice that were learning to blink whenever they heard a tone. Normal mice learned this without a problem, but mice with abnormal TrkB failed to learn to respond to the tone and initiate LTP. This study showed scientists that TrkB does play an important role in memory/learning and in long-term potentiation (LTP) initiation.

I found this article very interesting because it introduced new research on memory that I was not aware of. When I think about memory, the first thing that comes to mind is models and not actual molecules in the brain. This article gives a biological approach to memory. I believe that the next step in this research is to see if TrkB abnormalities are involved in memory disorders. If researchers find that TrkB plays a role in memory deterioration, then the second step is to find out how the abnormality occurred and how it can be corrected. This can lead to great advances in medicine, which can drastically change the lives of those who suffer from disorders like Alzheimer’s.

The entire article can be found here:
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg19325864.500-memories-are-made-of-this-molecule.html