Cell Sub-Journal: Remember more by taking a break

But what happens to the brain in the interval effect? ​​Why is rest so good for our memory? It is generally believed that during the learning process, neurons are activated and form new connections

Annet Glas and Pieter Goltstein are neurobiologists in the team of Mark Hübener and Tobias Bonhoeffer, who studied this phenomenon in mice

In the maze test, the researchers also measured the activity of neurons in the prefrontal cortex

Pieter Goltstein said: "If the three learning phases are quickly connected to each other, we will instinctively expect the same neurons to be activated

However, when researchers compared neuronal activity at different stages of learning, they found the opposite

Reactivating the same neurons allows the brain to strengthen the connections between these cells at each stage of learning-there is no need to start from scratch and establish connections first

Therefore, more than a century later, this research provides for the first time insights into neuronal processes that explain the positive effects of learning and rest

Journal Reference :

1. Annet Glas, Mark Hübener, Tobias Bonhoeffer, Pieter M.