Health

Clearing Out the Brain's Inbox

posted: 15 November 2009 10:54 am ET

: A neuron receives and processes information through a network of branches called dendrites. Once it processes the signal, the brain cell relays it along an axon to a terminal linking to another cell's dendrites. When millions of brain cells communicate with each other at once, cognition occurs. Credit: L. Kibiuk for Society for Neuroscience

Despite the longstanding belief that the human brain doesn't grow new neurons as we age, studies in recent years have found that it does (our brains are shriking over the generations, however.)

But scientists weren't sure what the new neurons do.

A new study indicates they clear away the remnants of old memories to make room for new ones, ScienceNOW reports. The brain's hippocampus acts like an inbox for memories, which then must be shuttled elsewhere for permanent storage. One purpose of new neurons, the study suggests, is to clear out the inbox once memories are filed.

More research is needed to verify the results, however.

Read full story at ScienceNOW

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