DURHAM, N.C., March 21 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've found a major clue to how the human brain makes long-term memories that underlie our ability to remember over time and to learn.
Scientists theorize that long-term potentiation or LTP -- the long-lasting increase of signals across a connection between brain cells -- is how long-term memories are formed, but exactly how that happens has been unknown, ScienceDaily.com reported Monday.
Now researchers at Duke University in North Carolina say they've discovered a cascade of signaling molecules that can cause a usually very brief signal to last for tens of minutes, creating the stronger connections -- synapses -- for memories that can be recalled months or even years later.
"We found that a biochemical process that lasts a long time is what causes memory storage," Ryohei Yasuda, Duke assistant professor of neurobiology, said.
The signals are important for maintaining long-lasting plasticity of synapses -- the ability of the brain to change during learning or memorization, the researchers said.
Many diseases such as mental retardation and Alzheimer's disease are associated with abnormalities in such signals, Yasuda said.
"Thus, our finding will provide many insights into these diseases."
The study has been published in the journal Nature.
