A look at how our brain purposely forgets something
12/13/2018 // Edsel Cook // Views

The brain doesn't just forget memories by accident or through injury. Sometimes, it loses it on purpose, especially when the person doesn't want to remember the particular information. A RUB news article identified the specific regions and activity of the brain that are responsible for deliberate forgetfulness.

The Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) led a joint research effort of German, Dutch, and U.K. researchers. They studied the processes that take place in the brain when a human is trying to forget something existed or took place.

They took advantage of the availability of epilepsy patients whose brains were already fitted out with electrode implants in preparation for an upcoming surgery. The researchers used the electrodes to measure the activity of the brain.

Their report pinpointed the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus as the two brain regions that play significant roles in forgetting. The activity in those areas proved to be higher during the process.

The results of their experiment were published in the journal Current Biology. (Related: Research finds exercise increases brain size, memory function as you age.)

The ability to forget is just as important as the one of remembering

"In the past century, memory research focused primarily on understanding how information can be successfully remembered," said Axmacher, who is the Head of the RUB's neuropsychology department and one of the two study leads. "However, forgetting is crucial for emotional wellbeing, and it enables humans to focus on a task."

Brighteon.TV

He and his team evaluated the brain activity of 22 epilepsy patients. Electrodes were already implanted in either the prefrontal cortex or the hippocampus of the participants.

Each participant was presented with several words. He or she was asked to either remember a word or to forget it. The electrodes recorded the activities in the two regions of the brain during the ensuing process of remembering or forgetting.

It turned out that the participants were less capable of remembering words that they were trying to forget, especially when compared to the ones they were working to memorize.

Certain frequency ranges are connected with the act of forgetting

During the experiment, the researchers kept an eye on the synchronous rhythmic activity in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. They reported that the oscillations in those two regions switched frequency bands when the brain was trying to forget something.

The prefrontal cortex displayed more prominent oscillations in the theta range, which is between three and five Hertz. At the same time, the hippocampus produced more oscillations at a higher frequency range of 6 to 18 Hertz.

"The data showed us that during active forgetting, the activity in the hippocampus, an important region for memory, is regulated by the prefrontal cortex," stated Carina Oehrn, a University Hospital in Marburg researcher who worked alongside Axmacher in the RUB-led study. "The activity in the hippocampus is not just suppressed; rather, it is switched to a different frequency, in which currently processed information is no longer encoded."

Axmacher and Oehrn are positive that developing more knowledge on active forgetting could help treat cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. The latter is a condition where the patient repeatedly goes through painful memories. If these negative memories could somehow be forgotten or erased, the emotional trauma could be reduced.

The prefrontal cortex happens to be the brain region that actively oversees the processes of memory. It could be triggered by non-invasive means, such as magnetic or electric stimulation. Oehrn believes that this could become a potential treatment for PTSD and similar mental health conditions involved with memories.

Grow your brain with relevant information available at Brain.news.

Sources include:

News.RUB.de

ScienceDirect.com



Take Action:
Support Natural News by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NaturalNews.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.
App Store
Android App
eTrust Pro Certified

This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2022 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
Natural News uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.