Recent research suggests that we may have memories of our first year of life guarded in the brain, but we cannot access them.
A new from Yale University challenges longtime beliefs about children’s amnesia, the phenomenon that prevents adults from recalling memories from early childhood. Published in Science, the study suggests that babies form memories during the first year of life, but that these memories can become inaccessible over time.
Scientists tested childhood memory showing babies a series of images and Measuring then if they recognized them. Since babies cannot verbally express their memories, the team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) to observe the activity in the hippocampus, the brain memory center. They also took the eyes of the babies, since the fact that they looked more at a family image indicated recognition.
The study revealed that the babies who had a stronger hippocampal activity When they saw an image for the first time they were more likely to recognize it later, explains. This suggests that memory formation begins much earlier than previously thought, especially in babies 12 months or more.
Despite the formation of memories, most adults cannot remember early childhood experiences. Investigators suggest Two explanations Possible: children’s memories do not go to long -term storage, causing them to be lost; or are stored in the brain, but become inaccessible as cognitive functions develop.
The study also explored statistical learning, a type of unconscious learning that helps babies Recognize patterns in your environment. This capacity arises from the age of three months and is distinct from episodic memory, which involves the recall of specific past events. Researchers believe that understanding how statistical learning transits to episodic memory can help explain why initial memories disappear.
“We are exploring the radical possibility, almost science fiction, of these memories persist in some way in adulthoodBut they remain inaccessible, ”said Nick Turk-Bowne, professor of Yale psychology and study co-author.
Future investigation will focus on tracking the duration of children’s memories and the possibility that they still exist in the brain, waiting to be accessed.
