Astrocytes Revealed as Key Players in Stabilizing Long-Term Emotional Memories

Astrocytes revealed as key players in stabilizing long-term emotional memories

Why are we able to recall only some of our past experiences? A new study led by Jun Nagai at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan has an answer.

Astrocytes are superstars in the game of long-term memory

Why are we able to recall only some of our past experiences? A new study led by Jun Nagai at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan has an answer. Surprisingly, it turns out that the brain cells responsible for stabilizing memories aren't neurons. Rather, they are astrocytes, a type of glial cell that is usually thought of as a role player in the game of learning and memory.

How emotional memories are engraved on the brain, with surprising helper cells

Astrocytes have a more active role in stabilizing memories than once thought. Astrocytes have a more active role in stabilizing memories than once thought.

Astrocyte Activity Linked to How Long-Term Memories Are Formed in Mice

New research led by scientists from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science points to astrocytes as the brain cells responsible for long-term learning and memory. In a new Nature paper, they demonstrate how emotionally intense experiences like fear in mice make their mark on small groups of astrocytes for several days, allowing them to re-engage when the mice recall the experience. Full details are provided in the paper titled “The astrocytic ensembl…

Astrocytic Ensemble Stabilizes Memory Over Days

In a groundbreaking new study set to transform our understanding of memory stabilization, researchers have uncovered a vital role played by astrocytes—star-shaped glial cells in the brain—that go beyond their traditionally recognized supportive functions. This work reveals that astrocytes form an active molecular ensemble that acts as a multiday trace, essential for maintaining strong and […]

Astrocytes, Not Neurons, Hold the Key to Emotional Memory

New research reveals that astrocytes — not neurons — are responsible for stabilizing emotional memories by re-engaging during recall. After an emotionally intense event, such as fear, specific astrocytes become biologically tagged with adrenoreceptors, making them responsive when the memory is later reactivated.