Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Jun 11: US scientists have identified a group of brain cells that may explain why people with memory issues tend to overeat. Researchers from the University of Southern California discovered that neurons in the brain’s ventral hippocampus form ‘meal engrams’ memory traces that store details about what, when, and where someone ate.

Published in Nature Communications, the study showed these meal memories are separate from other types of memory. When these specific neurons were destroyed in lab rats, they forgot food locations but remembered non-food-related tasks.

The neurons also connect to the brain’s hunger center, the lateral hypothalamus. Blocking this connection caused rats to overeat and forget meal details, pointing to a direct link between memory and appetite.

Lead researcher Prof Scott Kanoski said the findings could lead to new obesity treatments focused on improving meal memory, rather than just diet and exercise.