Researchers at UCLA utilize a novel microscope to uncover changes in neuron activity during repeated training sessions.
A recent study conducted by UCLA Health has revealed that repetitive practice not only enhances skill acquisition but also significantly alters the brain’s pathways for memory.
The research, published in the journal Nature and co-led by Rockefeller University, sought to unravel how the brain’s ability to retain and process information, known as working memory, improves through training.
To test this, researchers tasked mice with identifying and recalling a sequence of odors over the course of two weeks. Researchers then tracked neural activity in the animals as they practiced the task by using a novel, custom-built microscope that can image cellular activity in up to 73,000 neurons simultaneously throughout the cortex.
Findings on Working Memory Improvement
The study revealed a transformation in the working memory circuits located in the secondary motor cortex as the mice repeated the task through time. As the mice were first learning the task, the memory representations were unstable. However, after repeatedly practicing the task, the memory patterns began to solidify or “crystalize,” said corresponding author and DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07425-w
The work was performed by Dr. Arash Bellafard, project scientist at UCLA in close collaboration with Dr. Alipasha Vaziri’s group at Rockefeller University.