Do memories occupy a physical space in the brain?
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Here’s the best “simple” complete explanation I can put together. It still won’t be short, and it’ll include some extra info. I’m not an expert. I’m a self-advocating person with epilepsy who comes from a medical family.
At this time, we only have a partial understanding of how memory works, but we’re getting much better at being able to see it in action and view a single “engram” (a specific physical memory pattern) in a functioning brain. We only developed tech capable of viewing memory in action a few years ago.
We do know that memories aren’t filed like sheets of paper in a filing cabinet, and each memory isn’t a specialized cell used just for that one memory. Instead, **we both store and recall memories by activating unique links between patterns of neurons**. All the neurons are similar to one another, only being different in how they’re connected. What makes the memories unique is how those neurons work together when they’re activated. **Those unique patterns are called “engrams”, and it’s the act of accessing an engram that’s a memory**.
So, here’s a way to picture three unique memories as how they’d take up physical space: Imagine a group of three completely white, same-sized, jigsaw puzzles which all have different patterned cuts in them so that each one is solved differently from the others. That would be like three distinct memories where each puzzle piece (neuron) is only different in how it successfully connects to other pieces. Now imagine putting all three puzzles’ pieces into a single box together (neurons in your brain). Recalling any one of those memories would require re-solving that puzzle to view it (remaking the firing pattern).
Here’s where it gets a little complicated. Your brain doesn’t dedicate a neuron to just one memory. Our brains reuse neurons to make new solutions and make new memories as well as making new neurons as other neurons wear out in different ways. So, instead of having only three solutions from those three puzzles, your brain could also mix and match pieces in different ways to make new solutions, add extra pieces to box, and lose some over time as well. Our brains are organic and are constantly changing. According to scientists, unlike some human cells with fixed life spans, neurons don’t have a fixed lifetime. Given the right environment, they could live forever – except that they can be damaged and die for all kinds of reasons, including just through functioning.
What’s important to understand here is that memory is basically a working circuit. A neuron alone doesn’t make a memory. So the answer to your original question is that a memory does use a physical part of our body (neurons), but to make a memory takes more than just having neurons in a pattern. You have to activate that unique pattern, so a memory is more like an event than an object.
As far as we understand, memory basically uses three processes:
1. encoding: making a unique firing pattern in response to an event
2. storage: retaining that pattern by building new connections between neurons
3. recall: repeating the firing of neurons in that unique sequence
There are several “models” used to help explain memory. They all act as ways to interpret something we have a lot of trouble viewing firsthand. None of them are fully accepted as 100% “correct”. Scientists are still working out how memory actually works exactly, but they do have good general understanding of some features of memory that are important for people with epilepsy. It’s important to know that . . .
. . . memories don’t “live” in specific single cells in our brains. You can have damage to your brain that disrupts a memory, and you can work to restrengthen that memory by association/interconnection. For example, if you wanted to remember a specific holiday, you might use cues like looking up a list of who was there, viewing some photos, or trying to focus on sounds or smells particular to that day. A puzzle missing a piece or two can still show a picture, and a memory with a broken link may still be activated by finding a different way to recall it.
. . . every time you remember, you’re reactivating a stored pattern. Errors occur in memory all the time – even in healthy brains – because it takes a repeat of an electrical pattern to recall. Any time you “remember” you’re basically re-making a memory. For people with epilepsy, this can mean our memories get jumbled when our brains aren’t electrically stable. Having memory problems directly after a seizure is common, and it doesn’t mean that damage has to be permanent. Your stored memories may still be perfectly fine. It’s just your brain’s ability to access them at that time which isn’t working correctly. If memory problems continue, notify your doctor because it may point to injury or to a problem with medication type or dosage.
. . . using your brain for recall makes remembering easier. That’s been shown through studies comparing people in school versus people out of school (even those of similar age) and how well each group does on memory tests. Learning relies on memory and memory relies on learning. One of the best things you can do to keep your brain functioning well is just use it. A variety of brain-active activities is really good because mixing it up will stimulate more of your brain.
. . . repetition isn’t necessary for memory, but links between neurons are strengthened through repeated use. You absolutely can hear something once and remember it. Hearing it often will make it more easy to access. It’s like the difference between travelling a back country dirt road or a paved city street. That’s why repetition is so important to learning.
I hope that all helped!
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