An unusual way of sleep"s influence on memory has been found

Japanese scientists have revealed the secret of sleep: the brain not only consolidates memories but also prepares for new knowledge. The revolutionary study was published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.

In a series of experiments with mice, researchers observed engram cells – special neurons responsible for memory formation. As expected, these cells showed activity during sleep after significant events, consolidating the experience gained.

However, the real breakthrough was the discovery of a completely new category of neurons, called "future engram cells." These cells, having no connection with already received information, began to actively interact with existing memory cells during sleep. Surprisingly, they subsequently became responsible for recording new events.

Using a neural network model of the hippocampus, scientists established that such interactions are the result of a large-scale restructuring of neural connections occurring during sleep. According to the authors, these processes not only strengthen existing memories but also form a kind of "neural reserve" ready to efficiently process information in the future.

The researchers specifically noted that the quality of sleep between learning periods directly determines the ability for further memorization. This discovery may find wide application both in the development of new educational methods and in the treatment of various memory disorders.