Odour plays a major role in triggering memories, research reveals
| Updated: Dec 27, 2017, 12:40 IST
Ever wondered why certain scents smell 'familiar' or why a certain smell can trigger a particular memory? Well, now there is a scientific explanation behind all of that. A team of researchers has recently revealed that brain plays a major role between odours and nostalgia by logging scents in the part of the brain, which is responsible for retaining long-term memories. A current study shows that the piriform cortex, a part of the olfactory brain, is involved in the process of saving those memories. However, this mechanism only works in interaction with other brain areas.
Artificial sensation through stimulation - synaptic plasticity - is responsible for the retaining memories in the brain. The researchers have explained that a memory is created when communication between neurons is altered by means of a process called synaptic plasticity. Neuroscientists Dr Christina Strauch and Prof Dr Denise Manahan-Vaughan conducted research on the brain area and revealed that it was responsible for storing odours as long-term memories. "It is known that the piriform cortex is able to temporarily store olfactory memories. We wanted to know if that applies to long-term memories as well," said Christina Strauch. "Our study shows that the piriform cortex is indeed able to serve as an archive for long-term memories. But it needs instruction from the orbitofrontal cortex - a higher brain area - indicating that an event is to be stored as a long-term memory," Strauch stated.
The findings of this research are published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
Artificial sensation through stimulation - synaptic plasticity - is responsible for the retaining memories in the brain. The researchers have explained that a memory is created when communication between neurons is altered by means of a process called synaptic plasticity. Neuroscientists Dr Christina Strauch and Prof Dr Denise Manahan-Vaughan conducted research on the brain area and revealed that it was responsible for storing odours as long-term memories. "It is known that the piriform cortex is able to temporarily store olfactory memories. We wanted to know if that applies to long-term memories as well," said Christina Strauch. "Our study shows that the piriform cortex is indeed able to serve as an archive for long-term memories. But it needs instruction from the orbitofrontal cortex - a higher brain area - indicating that an event is to be stored as a long-term memory," Strauch stated.
The findings of this research are published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.