Brain Can Restore Lost Memories, Study Finds
Neuroscientists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute have discovered that forgotten memories in fruit flies can be stored in a hidden form and restored when the context is recreated. The experiment showed that returning flies to the training chamber brought back their avoidance response to an odor. The researchers note that restoration may be accompanied by the formation of false memories.
Neuroscientists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute in Switzerland have found that forgotten memories in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) can persist in the brain in a hidden form and re-emerge under certain conditions. In the experiment, flies were trained to associate an odor with a mild electric shock, after which they avoided that odor. About a day later, the response disappeared, indicating memory loss. However, returning the flies to the training chamber with the same lighting and texture restored the previous response. This suggests that the brain does not simply retrieve stored memory but reconstructs it from associated elements of experience. The researchers note that such restoration may be accompanied by the formation of false memories. The article also highlights the complexity of human memory: sometimes we easily recall events from years ago but struggle to remember what happened seconds ago. Scientists suggest that some memories may disappear permanently, while others merely become inaccessible.