Scientists Discover Mice Can Retain Memories Despite Major Loss of Synapses

Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University in Japan have made a groundbreaking discovery about how memories are stored in the brain. By inducing a hibernation-like state in mice, they found that more than half of the mice's synapses were erased, yet the mice retained their memories. This challenges the leading hypothesis that memories are stored in strengthened connections among neurons. The study, published in Science, used a technique developed by Takeshi Sakurai to artificially activate the hibernation circuit in mice. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of how memories are stored and retrieved in the brain.