Answering the mistery of memory: Difference between revisions

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In 1953, a young man, later became known as a patient HM, underwent an experimental surgery to bilaterally remove hippocampi as treatment of the intractable epilepsy.　Fortunately, HM's epilepsy became controllable but now he had another problem. While he could still recall his old memories, he could not memorize anything new. From the studies on the symptoms HM exhibited, we now know that hippocampus is the site where a memory is initially formed but not stored for long-term. But we still do not know the detailed mechanism by which memory is encoded in hippocampus, transferred to the rest of the brain, and recalled. This is one of oldest and most profound questions left for mankind.
In 1953, a young man who would later become known as patient H.M. underwent an experimental surgery to bilaterally remove his hippocampi in an attempt to treat intractable epilepsy. While the procedure successfully brought his seizures under control, it left him with a profound new challenge. Although he could still recall past memories, he was unable to form new ones.
 
Studies of H.M.’s condition revealed that the hippocampus is essential for the initial formation of memories but does not serve as their long-term storage site. However, the precise mechanisms by which memories are encoded in the hippocampus, transferred to other regions of the brain, and later recalled remain largely unknown. Unraveling this mystery is one of the oldest and most profound questions in neuroscience.


In our laboratory, we approach this question from multiple levels of studies from molecules to animal behavior:
In our laboratory, we approach this question from multiple levels of studies from molecules to animal behavior:

Latest revision as of 10:16, 24 March 2025

In 1953, a young man who would later become known as patient H.M. underwent an experimental surgery to bilaterally remove his hippocampi in an attempt to treat intractable epilepsy. While the procedure successfully brought his seizures under control, it left him with a profound new challenge. Although he could still recall past memories, he was unable to form new ones.

Studies of H.M.’s condition revealed that the hippocampus is essential for the initial formation of memories but does not serve as their long-term storage site. However, the precise mechanisms by which memories are encoded in the hippocampus, transferred to other regions of the brain, and later recalled remain largely unknown. Unraveling this mystery is one of the oldest and most profound questions in neuroscience.

In our laboratory, we approach this question from multiple levels of studies from molecules to animal behavior:

  • Protein Trafficking and Long-term Potentiation
  • Liquid-liquid phase separation and synaptic plasticity
  • Molecular Mechanisms of Structural Plasticity of Dendritic Spines
  • Dynamic Behavior of Cellular Memory Engram

Original drawing of hippocampus by Cajal. A section stained with Golgi staining.

Mouse hippocampal section. Image of hippocampus from a transgenic mouse expressing G-CaMP7 and DsRed2.

Latest News

  • November 12, 2021 A work by Akihiro Goto was published in Science. For details, please check "Erasing memory with light -Understanding why sleep is necessary for good memory-".
  • April 29, 2021 A work by Tomohisa Hosokawa and Pinwu Liu was published in Nature Neuroscience. For details, please check "An oil-water relationship explains memory formation - A new protein segregation mechanism in the brain".
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