Where Did You Park Your Car? The Way

Your Brain Remembe

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We’ve all misplaced our car keys at one time or another. But, have you ever thought

about how you suddenly remembered where they

were?

Here’s an easier one – how does your brain remember where you parked your car?

Well, apparently it’s similar to associating your auto insurance payment with a particular date on

the calendar.

If you run into an old friend at the airport, your brain will probably form a memory of the

experience. In turn, that memory will likely forever link the person you just saw with the

place where you saw them.

Have you ever experienced this?

According to a recent study researchers have, for the first time, been able to see that sort of link being created in people’s brains.

The way it works is – neurons in one area of the brain change their behavior as soon as someone associates a particular person with a specific place.

A study such as this can help doctors to better understand memory. It could also shed light on

how diseases like Alzheimer’s make it more difficult for people to form new memories.

The research began more than a decade ago. Back then scientists discovered special neurons in the

medial temporal lobe that respond only to a specific place, or a particular person, like the actor

Clint Eastwood.

In the experiment a fake photo of the actor and The

Leaning Tower of Pisa’s was used to test how the

brain links person and place.

In order to prove their point, the team of researchers did an experiment involving 14 epilepsy patients who had electrodes temporarily implanted in their brains to identify the source of their seizures.

Once patients agreed to take part in the test, researchers used the electrodes to monitor individual brain cells in the medial temporal lobe of their brains.

To start off, the team identified neurons that

responded to pictures of a specific person, like Clint

Eastwood. Then they identified the different

neurons that responded when shown pictures of a particular

place, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The experience created a new memory linking the person and the place, causing neurons in the medial temporal lobe to change their behavior.

That was followed with getting the patients’ brains to form a new

association between a person and a place. The team did that by

showing them fake images, such as Clint Eastwood at the Leaning

Tower of Pisa. When people saw these fake images, it was like

running into an old friend at the airport

The cell very rapidly changed its firing properties when the association was created. Now, a cell that had responded only to pictures of actor Clint Eastwood would start responding in a similar way to pictures of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The change to individual cells could help explain how the brain creates memories of experiences, people and places, and even emotions, sensations and lots of other information in the memory forming process.

So, next time you go to the mall on a busy day, create an association between your car and the

particular place you park it, because if you don’t – you may have trouble finding your car.

Finding the best auto insurance rates available can be difficult if you don’t associate them with the right auto insurance company. That’s why – you should get a free auto insurance quote comparison today!

Contact us today and our experts would be more than happy to answer any of your questions and help you find an auto insurance plan that’s right for you.

Have you ever been unable to find where you parked your car? Share your experience in the comments section below.

Let us know in the comments section below!