A new study conducted by researchers at UCLA sheds light on how the brain interprets sequences of experiences, potentially paving the way for advancements in the treatment of specific memory disorders.

A study released in September investigates the brain's method of encoding intricate sequences of events. According to Pawel Tacikowski, the lead author and a former project scientist at UCLA, researchers found remarkable parallels between the brain's representation of spatial environments and the temporal patterns of these events.

Tacikowski and his fellow researchers focused on the hippocampus – a brain structure through which all external information has to go to be stored as memory – in the study.

The research focused on individual neurons, which are the cells in the nervous system responsible for transmitting electrical signals, according to Tacikowski. He explained that the team was able to conduct this analysis because the participants in the study were epilepsy patients who had already undergone the implantation of electrodes in their brains for medical purposes.

According to psychology professor Barbara Knowlton, this technique enabled researchers to observe individual neurons as they engaged in the learning process.

These neurons, referred to as concept cells, were previously discovered by the Fried laboratory to activate in response to an image or idea of an individual, according to Knowlton.

The study participants were then presented with a particular series of images, according to Guldamla Kalender, one of the co-authors of the research.

The sequence in which images were shown to the participants of the study was not arbitrary. According to Tacikowski, it was based on a particular graph, and the researchers discovered that they could recreate the relationships depicted in this graph by analyzing the firing patterns of the associated neurons.

Ueli Rutishauser, a professor specializing in neurosurgery, neurology, and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, stated that although the participants were unaware of any patterns in the sequence of images presented to them, their brains had already encoded these graph relationships.

Jesse Rissman, a professor of psychology, psychiatry, and biobehavioral sciences, noted that the memory of the series of images became more robust during the participants' breaks. He explained that during these moments of rest, the brain would revisit the sequence associated with the learning experience.

According to Rissman, this highlighted a similarity in the brain's processing of temporal and spatial information. It was already established that the brain revisits locations to memorize spatial details, and this study revealed that a similar pattern occurs when learning the order of events over time, he noted.

According to Rissman, a key role of a memory system is its ability to forecast future events.

"We frequently encounter scenarios where we can rely on our previous experiences to forecast potential outcomes," Rissman explained. "This ability enables us to make informed decisions in our lives, shaping our actions according to our anticipations."

Dr. Itzhak Fried, the corresponding author of the paper and a professor of neurosurgery, stated that while this research focused on individuals with epilepsy, the findings are expected to be applicable to those without epilepsy as well, given that they have been supported by animal studies and fMRI results.

Tacikowski stated that in the future, insights into how the brain initially establishes the temporal framework of experiences could aid in comprehending the preservation of the cognitive map and its decline in conditions such as dementia.

Alan Castel, a psychology professor, emphasized the significance of studying memory, noting that it can influence both the treatment of memory disorders and the enhancement of memory capabilities.

"As we age, it's common for us to forget certain things, which may indicate a breakdown in these systems," he remarked.

Dr. Fried mentioned that the team aims to create a neuroprosthetic system designed to improve memory, potentially benefiting patients experiencing memory difficulties.

“One of our primary objectives is to create, in essence, what I refer to as a memory support tool – similar to how a hearing aid functions,” he stated.