The brain’s \”updating mechanisms\” may lead to false memories
The study, published in Current Biology, describes one of the first comprehensive descriptions of memory disorders. It may provide a framework for exploring different therapeutic approaches that can be used to treat anxiety, fear and memory disorders. This study may have implications on the accuracy of certain witness testimony.
Bryce Vissel is the senior author of the study, and he said that his team used new behavioral, molecular, and computational techniques to examine memories that were not well formed, and how the mind deals with them. For memories to be valuable, they must accurately reflect the actual event.
\”However, in the real world many memories are likely to be inaccurate–especially in situations where the experience was brief, sudden or highly emotional, as can often occur during trauma. It is also possible to have inaccurate memories when the memory has been poorly encoded. This can be due to subtle differences in memory processing or diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Source:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-brain-mechanisms-false-memories.html
