Apr 16: Dr Oliver Hardt and his research group have recently published a new article in The Journal of Neuroscience addressing processes underpinning the natural forgetting of long-term memories. The group found that removal of GluA2-containing AMPA receptors from post-synaptic sites facilitated forgetting, and that blocking their removal extended the natural lifetime of several forms of long-term memory. They further report that this form of “active memory decay” contributes functionally to memory, underpinning several forms of adaptive behaviour. These findings suggest that a constitutive forgetting process exists that systematically deletes established memories. Drugs targeting AMPA receptor removal are already being investigated as potential therapies to prevent memory loss associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Further information: Journal of Neuroscience article Independent article The Scotsman article Mailonline article University of Edinburgh news Dr Oliver Hardt's staff profile Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems Publication date 06 Apr, 2016
