A groundbreaking study has revealed that babies as young as four months old are capable of forming memories, despite being unable to recall them later in life. Researchers used brain scans to capture memory formation in 26 infants, ranging from 4 to 24 months old. The study found that the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with emotions and memory, is active in babies when they form memories.
The researchers showed the babies a series of images and then tested their memory recall by displaying familiar and new images side by side. The study found that older infants (12-24 months) exhibited activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, a region involved in memory-related decision-making and recognition.
"We showed infants photographs of faces, objects, and scenes one at a time during fMRI. Shortly afterward, we tested their memory by showing each of these now-familiar photographs alongside a new image of the same type. If the infant looked longer at the photograph they had seen before, we labelled that image as remembered; otherwise, it was forgotten," said the lead author of the study Dr Nick Turk-Browne.
This suggests that infants can create memories after brief experiences, with clearer effects after 12 months. The findings support the idea that people store memories as infants that they can't access later. However, questions remain about the duration and complexity of these memories. The research also raises deeper questions about why people can't recall memories from before age 4-5.
Understanding infant memory can provide insights into language acquisition, developmental disorders, and early education. It may also shed light on memory loss in ageing and diseases like Alzheimer's. Further research is needed to uncover the mechanisms behind infant memory and its implications for human development.
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