Scientists 'Mentally Teleport' Mice To Happy Place In World's 1st Successful Trial

Scientists at the University College of London have come up with new insights into the working of the ¡°inner GPS system¡± of the brain and how memories tend to affect this navigational capability.

(Representative Image: Reuters)

In a new study now published in the journal Cell, neuroscientists at UCL used laser beams to ¡°switch on¡± neurons in mice, ¡°mentally transporting¡± them to a different place altogether. The research builds on the work of Professor John O¡¯Keefe, who won the Nobel Prize in 2014 for discovering place cells.

These place cells, found in a region called the hippocampus in the brain, are responsible for retaining location memory. These cells only become active when an organism enters a specific location in the environment. In the new study, scientists were able to simultaneously read and write the activity of place cells in mice, explains a release by the University.

To achieve this, the researchers used an ¡®all-optical¡¯ approach using twin lasers. As the experimental mice navigated a virtual reality environment, the researchers were able to stimulate the place cells in their brains using targeted laser beams, thus reactivating the memory of a location where the mice previously obtained a reward.

The scientists observed that by the mere activation of the place cells, the mice were ¡°mentally teleported¡± to the place. They even started acting as if they were in the rewarded place. In doing so, for the first time ever, the scientists were able to demonstrate how the mere activation of place cells enables us to retrieve memories of our environment.

A deeper understanding

The study by the scientists at UCL comes as the first solid proof that the place cell activity empowers the brain¡¯s ability to navigate. The results enable a deeper understanding of how such location-based memories are stored in the brain.

(Representative Image: Reuters)

The scientists behind the study believe that the findings from the research ¡°could eventually help us develop new therapies for conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer¡¯s disease, which affect memory,¡± explains the release.

First author of the study, Dr Nick Robinson said: ¡°These results provide direct causal evidence that mice use the information represented by place cell activity to guide their behaviour. In other words, place cells really do tell the mouse where it is, and mice actually ¡®listen¡¯ to their place cells when they make decisions.¡±

¡°Disorders of memory - such as in dementia and Alzheimer¡¯s - represent a huge cost to society. This work may eventually lead to a better understanding of these diseases, as well as new targets for therapeutic intervention,¡± he further added.