Human Brain Can Store 10X More Information Than Previously Thought Based on Synaptic Plasticity [Study]

The human brain is more powerful than researchers previously believed, as it can save more data.

Human Brain Can Store 10X More Information

In a new study, scientists have developed a novel approach to investigating the quantity of information stored, the precision of plasticity, and the strength of synapses. Measuring these three synaptic characteristics helps further scientific knowledge of human memory and learning and how those functions change over time and become worse with aging or illness.

This new approach based on information theory is superior to older methods in two ways: (1) it is more comprehensive, accounting for ten times more information storage in the brain than previously thought, and (2) it is scalable, allowing it to be applied to large and diverse datasets to obtain information about other synapses.

According to Kristen Harris, an author of the paper and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, this method will benefit neuroscientists.

This thorough examination of synaptic strength and plasticity has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of learning and memory. It will allow us to investigate these mechanisms in human, animal, and aging brains, among other brain types.

Professor Terrence Sejnowski, senior author of the study and holder of the Francis Crick Chair at Salk, said the new tool would be useful for future research by initiatives like the National Institutes of Health's BRAIN Initiative, which established a human brain cell atlas in October 2023.

The technique is fascinating not only for scientists cataloging the types and actions of brain cells but also for researchers examining malfunctions in information storage, such as Alzheimer's disease.

This method may be used in the future by scientists worldwide to uncover fascinating new details regarding the human brain's capacity for short—and long-term memory retention, learning new abilities, and day-to-day action recall.

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What Is Synaptic Plasticity?

Plasticity is the brain's capacity to alter and adjust to new information. Synaptic plasticity refers to the alterations that transpire at synapses, which are the points where neurons connect and exchange information.

In 1949, Canadian psychologist Donald Hebb first postulated that synapses could change and that the degree of change depended on the synapses' activity or inactivity. Since synaptic plasticity is thought to play a role in memory storage, it has been one of the subjects of intense neuroscience research.

Synaptic plasticity regulates the degree to which two neurons can communicate. The volume of a conversation can be used to compare the strength of communication between two synapses. Varying neurons speak to each other at varying volumes; some whisper, while others yell. The synaptic strength, also known as the volume setting of the synapse, is not constant but rather varies over time. These variations in synaptic strength are referred to as synaptic plasticity.

Additionally, neuroscientists discuss both short- and long-term plasticity.

Short-term synaptic plasticity is the phrase used to describe changes in synaptic strength that occur in less than a second. This type of change is similar to a quick up or down adjustment of the volume control, which helps evaluate how essential a connection is to the current discussion but quickly returns to "normal."

Long-term synaptic plasticity can range from minutes to hours, days, or even years. The most widely accepted theory explains how the brain stores information, or how humans form and retain new memories, using long-term plasticity.

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