Researchers from the University of Toronto and Kyushu University have found that enhancing neuron formation and neural circuit rewiring in the hippocampus through exercise or genetic manipulation can help mice forget traumatic or drug-associated memories. Their study suggests new methods for treating mental health issues like PTSD and drug addiction, emphasizing the effectiveness of exercise alongside potential genetic interventions. Credit: SciTechDaily.
“Neurogenesis is important for forming new memories but also for forgetting memories. We think this happens because when new neurons integrate into neural circuits, new connections are forged and older connections are lost, disrupting the ability to recall memories,” explains Fujikawa. “We wanted to see if this process could help mice forget stronger, traumatic memories too.”
Furthermore, when the mice were free to exercise before the second shock, it also prevented some PTSD-like behaviors from developing.However, since exercise impacts the brain and body in many different ways, it wasn’t clear whether the effect of exercise was due to hippocampal circuit rewiring by neurogenesis, or other factors. The researchers therefore used two different genetic approaches to assess the impact of newborn neuron integration into the hippocampus, exclusively.
When activated with light, newly-formed neurons in the hippocampus grew faster and showed more branching. Credit: Paul Frankland; University of Toronto Finally, the research team explored whether increased neurogenesis and hippocampus re-modeling could also help in other mental disorders where memory plays an important role, such as substance use disorders. For people battling drug dependency, relapse often happens when reminders, like being in a similar environment where the drug was used, trigger powerful cravings.
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