Time Neurons Finally Discovered!

Special 'time neurons' in the hippocampus may be involved in encoding the time-related features of the memory.

Special neurons in the hippocampus may be involved in time-related features of memory, that is, they fire during specific moments in time, as per a study by the Society for Neuroscience, published in the journal JNeurosci.

Neurons are the basic functional unit of the brain. Hippocampus is a seahorse-shaped organ of the brain that is a primary seat of learning and memory. The present study states that hippocampal cells – human 'time neurons' may contribute to memory by encoding information about the time and order of events.

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‘Special 'time neurons' in the hippocampus may be involved in time-related features of memory, that is, they fire during specific moments in time. Hence the discovery of time-tracking neurons in the human brain may help in decoding the different moments in time.’

The recollection of our specific events or experiences in life such as remembering the "what, where, and when" of past experiences is termed as episodic memory – a type of long-term memory.

The spatial memory that is "where" I generally found to be encoded by a type of cells called ‘place cells’ in the hippocampus. These neurons fire in response to specific locations. However the neurons responsible for encoding "when" remain masked.

The Time Neurons

The present study has finally deciphered the code and has found that a particular set of hippocampal neurons fire in response to specific moments in time, that is, "when" in rodents.

The study team recorded the electrical activity of neurons in the hippocampus of epilepsy patients who are undergoing diagnostic invasive monitoring for surgery. The participants viewed and memorized a sequence of 5 to 7 images during the recording.

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Questions were asked to the participants on the next image in the sequence at random intervals before it resumed. It was found that during specific moments in time between quizzes, time-sensitive neurons fired irrespective of the image. Time was tracked by the neurons even during 10-second gaps when the participants had to wait without the display of any images.

Hence the different moments in time were decoded by the study team based on the activity of the entire group of neurons. This finally proves the discovery of time-tracking neurons in the human brain.

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Source-Medindia