Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Researchers discover how sleep keeps the brain ready for daily learning

Scientists find that parts of the hippocampus go silent during deep sleep, enabling neurons to reset

Researchers discover how sleep keeps the brain ready for daily learning

WHILE it's well-established that sleep aids in forming and storing memories, a new study has uncovered how this process continues throughout a person's lifetime without depleting neurons or brain cells.

Researchers discovered that during deep sleep, certain parts of the hippocampus – a key brain region involved in learning and memory – temporarily go silent, allowing neurons to 'reset'.


"This mechanism may enable the brain to reuse the same neurons for new learning each day," explained Azahara Oliva, an assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University and the study's lead author, in research published in the journal Science.

While we sleep, the brain cells go over everything we learn or experience during the day by repeating the patterns that were activated the first time, thereby helping with how memories are stored. The process is called 'memory consolidation', following which the memories are then stored in a large area in the brain called the cortex. Both the hippocampus and the cortex play a role in memory, with the hippocampus transferring temporary or 'short-term' information to the cortex to form permanent or 'long-term' memories.

The researchers said that the hippocampus is divided into three regions, two of which are well-known to help form memories related to time and space.

The third, they said, is involved in silencing and resetting parts of the hippocampus during sleep, which this study found.

"We realised there are other hippocampal states that happen during sleep where everything is silenced. The (two) regions that had been very active were suddenly quiet. It's a reset of memory, and this state is generated by the (third) region," Oliva said.

For the study, the researchers implanted electrodes into the hippocampi of the brains of mice, which are commonly studied as they are known to bear genetic material similar to humans.

This allowed the team to observe the brain's activity during learning and sleep, they said.

The study's results help explain why all animals require sleep, not only to fix memories but also to reset the brain and keep it working during waking hours, the researchers said.

They believe that by tinkering with the processes at play during memory consolidation, they now have the tools to boost memory.

The tools could be applied when memory function falters, such as in Alzheimer's disease, in which memory and decision-making are impaired, thereby interfering with one's daily activities, the authors said.

They also said that the evidence could be used to explore means for erasing negative or traumatic memories, which could then help treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTI)

More For You

Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed

Getty Images

Kew Gardens begins ambitious revamp of Palm House to cut carbon emissions

Highlights

  • Kew Gardens will shut its iconic Palm House for up to four years
  • Grade I-listed building to undergo major restoration as part of net-zero strategy
  • Gas boilers to be replaced with modern heat pumps
  • Rare plant collection, including 45 endangered species, to be relocated during works
  • Palm House and Waterlily House will become the first net-zero glasshouses globally

Historic Palm House to undergo major upgrade

Kew Gardens will temporarily close one of its most recognisable landmarks, the Grade I-listed Palm House, for up to four years as part of an ambitious net-zero redevelopment plan. Opened in 1848, the glasshouse is home to a globally significant collection of tropical plants and houses the world’s oldest potted plant—an Encephalartos altensteinii dating back to 1775.

The Palm House, along with the neighbouring Waterlily House, will be transformed into the world’s first net-zero glasshouses through a large-scale renovation focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anne-Marie motherhood

Singer Anne-Marie gave an open and emotional interview on BBC Radio 2

Getty Images

‘Everything has changed’: Anne-Marie on motherhood, anxiety and returning to music

Highlights

  • Anne-Marie discussed the challenges of motherhood and returning to work in music
  • Revealed struggles with postnatal anxiety and depression after birth of daughter Seven
  • Praised therapy as a crucial support tool and advised others to seek help
  • Shared insights into life with two young children and how routines have changed her
  • Confirmed she will perform at the Women’s Rugby World Cup opening ceremony on 22 August

Anne-Marie opens up about motherhood and mental health

Singer Anne-Marie gave an open and emotional interview on BBC Radio 2 this morning (16 July), speaking to Scott Mills about the mental and physical challenges she has faced after becoming a mother of two. The artist, known for hits including 2002 and Friends, reflected on the impact of motherhood on her mental health and creative life.

Returning to music while raising a family

Anne-Marie revealed that adjusting to life with two children while returning to the music industry has been “really difficult”. She is mother to daughter Seven, aged one, and a baby son who is just two months old.

Keep ReadingShow less
Great British Sewing Bee

The Great British Sewing Bee is back for 2025, welcoming 12 new home sewers to the sewing room

BBC

The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 begins with 12 new contestants and fresh challenges

Highlights

  • The Great British Sewing Bee returns for a new series on BBC One
  • Hosted by Sara Pascoe with judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young
  • 12 contestants will compete across 10 themed sewing challenges
  • Each episode features a Pattern, Transformation, and Made to Measure challenge
  • Opening week focuses on shaping garments including pleats and circle skirts

Sewing Bee returns with a fresh cast of home sewing talent

The Great British Sewing Bee is back for 2025, welcoming 12 new home sewers to the sewing room. Host Sara Pascoe returns to guide the competition, alongside judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young, who will evaluate each contestant’s technical ability and creative flair.

Spanning 10 weeks, the series will feature themed challenges ranging from artistic and historical references to cultural inspirations like the 1920s and Korean fashion. Contestants will face the usual trio of tasks each week: a Pattern Challenge, a creative Transformation Challenge, and a Made to Measure Challenge where garments are tailored to real models.

Keep ReadingShow less
South Asian fertility

The event follows recent data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)

iStock

South Asian Heritage Month 2025: Breaking silence on fertility in the community

Highlights:

  • Event part of South Asian Heritage Month, taking place in London
  • Focus on fertility challenges faced by the South Asian community in the UK
  • Speakers include individuals with lived experience and reproductive health experts
  • HFEA data reveals ethnic disparities in IVF outcomes and patient satisfaction
  • Aims to break taboos, encourage open dialogue, and advocate for tailored care

Fertility event aims to spotlight inequalities and cultural stigma

A landmark event during South Asian Heritage Month will explore the unique fertility challenges faced by South Asian communities in the UK. Titled Breaking the Silence – Fertility Journeys in the South Asian Community, the event will take place in London on Tuesday 5 August from 5:30pm to 8:15pm.

The panel gathering will feature individuals with lived experience of infertility, baby loss and involuntary childlessness, alongside clinicians and mental health professionals specialising in reproductive care. The goal is to open up often-silenced conversations and address disparities in access to fertility treatment and patient outcomes among South Asian groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nadiya Hussain

She revealed that she decided to post the BBC cancellation news on social media herself

Getty Images

Nadiya Hussain says she no longer fits the BBC’s ‘neat little box’ after show dropped

Highlights:

  • Nadiya Hussain confirms her BBC cookery show will not be returning
  • The Bake Off winner said she was told the BBC no longer wanted to commission the series
  • On a podcast, she described feeling ‘muzzled’ and like a ‘tick box’ for diversity
  • Hussain is now managing her own career independently and vows to speak her truth

Nadiya confirms BBC show cancellation

Nadiya Hussain, who rose to fame after winning The Great British Bake Off in 2015, has revealed that her cookery show has been cancelled by the BBC. In a post shared on Instagram last month, the television presenter confirmed that there would be “no more cookery show” after the broadcaster “decided that they didn't want to commission the show”.

The 40-year-old previously fronted several successful BBC series, including Nadiya’s Asian Odyssey, Nadiya’s Time to Eat, and Nadiya’s Cook Once Eat Twice.

Keep ReadingShow less