Search
What are you looking for?
Start main content

Press Releases

Press Releases

https://www.med.cuhk.edu.hk/press-releases/cuhk-discovers-a-neural-architecture-that-facilitates-the-formation-of-associative-memory-providing-the-basis-for-a-deeper-understanding-of-memory-and-its-impairment-in-brain-disorders
https://www.med.cuhk.edu.hk/press-releases/cuhk-discovers-a-neural-architecture-that-facilitates-the-formation-of-associative-memory-providing-the-basis-for-a-deeper-understanding-of-memory-and-its-impairment-in-brain-disorders

CUHK discovers a neural architecture that facilitates the formation of associative memory, providing the basis for a deeper understanding of memory and its impairment in brain disorders

Neuroscientists from the School of Biomedical Sciences in The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) have discovered a new neural architecture in the brain of the fruit fly that facilitates the formation of associative memory. The findings provide a good foundation for understanding memory problems caused by neurodegenerative diseases and help develop effective therapeutic strategies for brain disorders. The results of the study were recently published in the renowned scientific journal Current Biology.

 

Studying the mechanism of memory formation is difficult due to the complex structure of the brain

 

Almost all the things we know and do are because of our memory, which is formed by experience. Brain disorders that affect the memories of people such as Alzheimer’s disease patients can also deprive them of their identity and sense of meaning in life. Decades of research have discovered that the mammalian brain’s hippocampus is critical in the formation of memory. Pathological changes occur in the hippocampus of patients who have Alzheimer’s and other diseases, leading to the inability to form new memories. However, studying the mechanism of memory formation by the hippocampus in humans and other mammals is notoriously difficult because of the enormous complexity of the mammalian brain.

 

In the brain of the fruit fly, Drosophila, a structure called mushroom body plays a similar role to that of the hippocampus in the mammalian brain but is much simpler in cellular composition and organisation. Therefore, the fruit fly is a popular model for neuroscientists to study memory.  In the current study, the research team from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CU Medicine has uncovered a novel neural architecture in the mushroom body of a fruit fly that drives efficient memory formation.

 

(From left) Professor Yung Wing-ho and Professor Ke Ya

(From left) Professor Yung Wing-Ho and Professor Ke Ya

Using the fruit fly’s tiny brain to unravel a novel neural architecture for memory formation

 

Fruit flies can easily learn to associate the occurrence of an otherwise neutral odour with the experience of an electric shock, resulting in subsequent avoidance of the odour. The team applied technically very challenging neural recordings and neuroimaging from the exceedingly tiny brains of the fruit flies. They discovered a novel form of neural plasticity, an ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganisation according to experiences, in the input stage of mushroom body neurons. This plasticity depends on the precise order and arrival times of the odour and electric shock.

 

By generating different genetically modified fly lines, the research team went on to show that this plasticity is exhibited only by a specific population of neurons and is essential for forming aversive olfactory memory. The highly plastic synaptic connection at the input site together with the well-reported connection at the output site of the mushroom body represents a novel neural architecture for memory formation.

 

Dopamine and its receptor are essential for associative memory formation

 

Another finding of this study is the role played by dopamine and its receptor. The team found that the plasticity essential for associative memory formation is enabled by a group of neurons that release dopamine to activate specific dopamine receptor subtypes in the mushroom body. This action on the circuitry increases the salience of the stimulus and tightly couples the process of memory encoding to drive associative learning. Therefore, it facilitates the assignment of the “meaning” of a sensory stimulus in the animals that influences their behaviour. Since dopamine deficiency is a characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases, the results provide a good foundation for understanding memory problems caused by these disorders.

 

Professor Ke Ya, Associate Professor at CU Medicine’s School of Biomedical Sciences, remarked, “Associative learning is the foundation of more complex forms of learning. This circuit architecture, or its working principle, may be preserved and utilised in the brains of higher animals. Therefore, our study has provided a deeper understanding of memory formation in the animal brain. Our results may also inspire researchers in the field of artificial intelligence to design new artificial neural networks that can learn faster and better.”

 

Professor Yung Wing-ho, Professor from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CU Medicine, noted, “Probing what goes wrong with the memory of brain disorder patients relies on an appreciation of the normal process of memory formation. Our discovery of the regulatory mechanism in memory formation may in the future be important for the development of effective therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders.”

 

The study was led by Professor Ke Ya and Professor Yung Wing-ho, with contributions by Mr Qiao Jing-da, Mr Yang Sheng-xi and Dr Geng Hong-yan.

 

More Press Releases

Can animals count?  Neuroscientists at CityUHK and CUHK resolve long-standing debate

Can animals count? Neuroscientists at CityUHK and CUHK resolve long-standing debate

Research
CUHK Study Discovers Brain Circuitry That Generates Behavioural Responses to Stress Provide a Basis for Probing Abnormal Repetitive Behaviour Exhibited in Brain Disorders

CUHK Study Discovers Brain Circuitry That Generates Behavioural Responses to Stress Provide a Basis for Probing Abnormal Repetitive Behaviour Exhibited in Brain Disorders

Research
CUHK Study Discovers Pathway That Links to Cognitive Flexibility Dopamine Dysregulation May Lead to Ability Impairment

CUHK Study Discovers Pathway That Links to Cognitive Flexibility Dopamine Dysregulation May Lead to Ability Impairment

Research
CUHK Study Discovers an Essential Enzyme to Maintain Body Iron Homeostasis Deficiency Could Cause Excessive Iron Retention and Damage Major Organs

CUHK Study Discovers an Essential Enzyme to Maintain Body Iron Homeostasis Deficiency Could Cause Excessive Iron Retention and Damage Major Organs

Research
CUHK’s Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre Unveils Mystery of How Brain Learns Motor Skills

CUHK’s Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre Unveils Mystery of How Brain Learns Motor Skills

Research
CUHK develops a 3D-printable bioactive material and other technologies to treat large-to-massive tendon injuries

CUHK develops a 3D-printable bioactive material and other technologies to treat large-to-massive tendon injuries

Research
A CU Medicine-Baylor College of Medicine collaborative study reveals for the first time that variations in DHX9 underlie human neurodevelopmental disorders

A CU Medicine-Baylor College of Medicine collaborative study reveals for the first time that variations in DHX9 underlie human neurodevelopmental disorders

Research
CUHK unravels the world’s most comprehensive genome profile of the American cockroach and reveals novel cockroach allergens for the development of precision immunotherapy

CUHK unravels the world’s most comprehensive genome profile of the American cockroach and reveals novel cockroach allergens for the development of precision immunotherapy

Research
CUHK unveils the evolutionary history of medically important mites, laying the genomics groundwork for diagnosis of and intervention in mite allergy

CUHK unveils the evolutionary history of medically important mites, laying the genomics groundwork for diagnosis of and intervention in mite allergy

Research
CUHK-HKU-UCL study unravels how gene mutation leads to congenital megacolon providing clues for the development of novel therapeutic strategies

CUHK-HKU-UCL study unravels how gene mutation leads to congenital megacolon providing clues for the development of novel therapeutic strategies

Research
CUHK Uncovers a New Strategy to Turn “Cold” Liver Tumour “Hot” Leading to an Effective and Durable Combined Immunotherapy

CUHK Uncovers a New Strategy to Turn “Cold” Liver Tumour “Hot” Leading to an Effective and Durable Combined Immunotherapy

Research
A Joint Study by CUHK, PolyU and Western Sydney University Discovers how the Nervous System of Human Runners Generates More Energetically Efficient Running Forms

A Joint Study by CUHK, PolyU and Western Sydney University Discovers how the Nervous System of Human Runners Generates More Energetically Efficient Running Forms

Research
Insights into B-cells and GPR18 Gene Expression by CU Medicine team  Improve Prediction of Survival in Multiple Cancer Types

Insights into B-cells and GPR18 Gene Expression by CU Medicine team Improve Prediction of Survival in Multiple Cancer Types

Research
CUHK Researchers Uncover Diabetes as a Potential Risk Factor for COVID-19,  and Possible Mechanisms

CUHK Researchers Uncover Diabetes as a Potential Risk Factor for COVID-19, and Possible Mechanisms

Research
CU Medicine Team Discovers a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for a Doubled Survival in Head and Neck Cancer

CU Medicine Team Discovers a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for a Doubled Survival in Head and Neck Cancer

Research
CUHK School of Biomedical Sciences Strives to Become the World-leading Biomedical Hub

CUHK School of Biomedical Sciences Strives to Become the World-leading Biomedical Hub

Milestone
CUHK-HKU Study on Multi-gene Mutation-Drug Matching for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Patients Providing Free Pharmacogenomic Analysis for 100 Patients in Hong Kong

CUHK-HKU Study on Multi-gene Mutation-Drug Matching for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Patients Providing Free Pharmacogenomic Analysis for 100 Patients in Hong Kong

Research
CUHK Uncovers Novel Immune Escape Mechanism of Cancer Opening Up New Direction for Cancer Immunotherapy

CUHK Uncovers Novel Immune Escape Mechanism of Cancer Opening Up New Direction for Cancer Immunotherapy

Research
CUHK-led Study Reveals Novel Mechanism for the Development of Atherosclerosis Setting New Treatment Directions to Cardiovascular Diseases

CUHK-led Study Reveals Novel Mechanism for the Development of Atherosclerosis Setting New Treatment Directions to Cardiovascular Diseases

Research
CUHK Launches World’s First Study on Ovum Ageing and Female Infertility by Using Single-Cell Genomics Technology

CUHK Launches World’s First Study on Ovum Ageing and Female Infertility by Using Single-Cell Genomics Technology

Research
CUHK/International Study Implicates a Gene in Alzheimer’s disease

CUHK/International Study Implicates a Gene in Alzheimer’s disease

Research
CUHK Unveils Genome of Dermatophagoides farinae Casting New Light on Diagnosis and Interventions of Inhalant Allergies

CUHK Unveils Genome of Dermatophagoides farinae Casting New Light on Diagnosis and Interventions of Inhalant Allergies

Research
CUHK and US Experts Collaborate to Provide Clinical Genetic Training to Set up The Territory's First One-Stop Outpatient Genetic Clinic

CUHK and US Experts Collaborate to Provide Clinical Genetic Training to Set up The Territory's First One-Stop Outpatient Genetic Clinic

International collaboration
CUHK Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building Opened

CUHK Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building Opened

Milestone

Our Expert List

Many experts under the Faculty of Medicine are available for media interview.
Please click here for the expert list or contact us.