The tears are in my mind (Oh, Mandy!)
pO157.
Posted to Etcetera on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 08:56:41 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
Some people remember emotional events in their life for years. Up until now scientists have been unable to explain why you can forget what you had for breakfast but will always carry with you Suzie rejecting your prom date inquiry in high school. New research indicates memory retention may be aided by high levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine.
The reason why you'll never forget that break-up that occurred 15 years ago is quite simple. Researchers at the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory recently published a paper suggesting that norepinephrine is responsible for the brain "deciding" which memories to keep. In high stress situations (such as ending a relationship, guilty or stressful feelings, or being in a bad accident) flagged experiences are more likely to be retained permanently.
Researchers determined that mice with elevated levels of norepinephrine and a normal critical brain receptor responsible for memory were able to retain events better and faster. Those with normal levels of stress, less norepinephrine or altered brain receptors were less able to learn.
The results are expected to be important to not only figure out how memory works, but also to treat memory related illnesses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, or other mental troubles. Head researcher Dr. Robert Manilow comments that even though the work itself may be difficult to understand, it is an important topic and something everybody can relate to. "The question we are addressing is why is it that you can remember some trivial events that occur at a time when there is high emotional arousal," said Dr. Manilow.
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