4 ms·

Astrocytes are the superstars of long-term memory: multi-day trace stabilizers

6 points by marshfram 1y ago

westurner 1y ago
IMHO the cortex is the superstar of long-term memory because of spontaneous recovery of LTM due to redundant storage in the cortex
- marshfram 1y ago
  You've got to settle the memory in during this days long process first, and that's being revised through sharp wave ripples.
  - westurner 1y ago
    That appears to be true for STM but IDK about LTM? - "Study shows how memories ripple through the brain" (2017) https://www.ninds.nih.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/study-shows-how-memories-ripple-through-brain https://www.ninds.nih.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/st... "Learning-enhanced coupling between ripple oscillations in association cortices and hippocampus" (2017) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aan6203 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aan6203 ... NeuroGrid - "Brain found to store three copies of every memory" (2024) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41352124 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41352124 : > So that makes four (4) copies of each memory in the brain if you include the engram cells in the prefrontal cortex
    - marshfram 1y ago
      Good to read Rhythms of the Brain for how SWR creates memories.
westurner 1y ago
ScholarlyArticle: "The astrocytic ensemble acts as a multiday trace to stabilize memory" (2025) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09619-2 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09619-2 Does this multi-day interval correspond to any of the intervals estimated in studies of neural representation drift? From yesterday regarding carbon microtubules, quantum cognition, and representation drift: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45620897 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45620897 How do astrocytes affect representation drift?
- marshfram 1y ago
  The drift is probably oscillatory in nature. It's process affecting material. Astrocytes and nanotubules don't directly affect the drift, they are affected by it simply as the memory is shifted by a material/process interaction.
  - westurner 1y ago
    I haven't heard that they've identified period(s) of or resonance from as a cause of representation drift. Is this fair to say:? Astrocyte activations are more stable for a longer period of time than other neuroactivations.
    - marshfram 1y ago
      It's a theory of drift postulated by neurobiologists. Unsure if they're more stable.

6 points by marshfram 1y ago

IMHO the cortex is the superstar of long-term memory because of spontaneous recovery of LTM due to redundant storage in the cortex

marshfram 1y ago
You've got to settle the memory in during this days long process first, and that's being revised through sharp wave ripples.
- westurner 1y ago
  That appears to be true for STM but IDK about LTM? - "Study shows how memories ripple through the brain" (2017) https://www.ninds.nih.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/study-shows-how-memories-ripple-through-brain https://www.ninds.nih.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/st... "Learning-enhanced coupling between ripple oscillations in association cortices and hippocampus" (2017) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aan6203 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aan6203 ... NeuroGrid - "Brain found to store three copies of every memory" (2024) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41352124 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41352124 : > So that makes four (4) copies of each memory in the brain if you include the engram cells in the prefrontal cortex
  - marshfram 1y ago
    Good to read Rhythms of the Brain for how SWR creates memories.

westurner 1y ago

ScholarlyArticle: "The astrocytic ensemble acts as a multiday trace to stabilize memory" (2025) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09619-2 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09619-2 Does this multi-day interval correspond to any of the intervals estimated in studies of neural representation drift? From yesterday regarding carbon microtubules, quantum cognition, and representation drift: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45620897 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45620897 How do astrocytes affect representation drift?

marshfram 1y ago
The drift is probably oscillatory in nature. It's process affecting material. Astrocytes and nanotubules don't directly affect the drift, they are affected by it simply as the memory is shifted by a material/process interaction.
- westurner 1y ago
  I haven't heard that they've identified period(s) of or resonance from as a cause of representation drift. Is this fair to say:? Astrocyte activations are more stable for a longer period of time than other neuroactivations.
  - marshfram 1y ago
    It's a theory of drift postulated by neurobiologists. Unsure if they're more stable.