Study: Every new memory we form causes damage to our brain cells

A new study reports that every time we create a memory, it leaves a lasting impression not only on our minds, but also on our brain cells themselves.

The complex process of memory formation involves creating and strengthening connections between neurons, allowing information to be stored and retrieved later. However, this process is not without its effect on the brain cells involved.

A new study said that the process of remembering something in the long term comes at a high cost, causing inflammation in the brain and DNA damage in neurons, as memories are “integrated” into neurons and stored.

Based on tests conducted by an international team of scientists, the results found that these effects occur within the hippocampus, a part of the brain known to be the primary storage cabinet for memories and crucial to the remembering process.

“Inflammation of nerve cells in the brain is usually a bad thing because it can lead to neurological problems, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's,” says neuroscientist Jelena Radulovic of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “But our findings suggest that inflammation in some "Neurons in the hippocampus region of the brain are essential for making long-term memories."

The mice were given brief electric shocks to stimulate their memory. Careful analysis of hippocampal neurons showed activation of genes in receptor pathways, called Toll-Like Receptor 9 (TLR9), that are important for inflammatory signaling.

Moreover, this pathway was only activated in groups of neurons, which also showed DNA damage.

Scientists found that DNA damage in the brain takes longer than usual to regulate itself and provide protection against external forces.

“This is noteworthy because we are constantly exposed to a stream of information, and neurons that encode memories need to preserve the information they have already acquired and not be distracted by new input,” Dr. Radulovic said.