Neuroscientists have discovered a fascinating connection between the retention of early life memories and brain developmental trajectories associated with autism.
Most of us remember little of our experiences from before two years of age. This form of memory loss, termed “infantile amnesia,” refers to the seemingly complete loss of episodic and autobiographical memories formed during early life. The research team at Trinity College Dublin investigated how infantile amnesia is affected by forms of autism.
The maternal immune response, sparked into life in response to infection during pregnancy, is known to contribute to the cause of autism in both humans and mice. The Trinity neuroscientists report for the first time that this altered brain state also prevents the usual loss of memories formed during infancy.
Using a mouse model, the team behind this discovery showed that exposure to…
