Forgotten memories may not be gone

New research suggests that some memories that seem to be forgotten may not completely disappear from the brain.  Instead they may remain stored in a quiet state and can sometimes return when a person receives the right reminder or is placed in a familiar environment.

Scientists studied fruit flies and found that memories could become active again when the flies were placed in an environment similar to the one where the memory was first formed.

This suggests that some memories may not be erased with time. They may simply become harder for the brain to access.

Human memory is a very complex system. Some memories become weaker over time while others may suddenly return after seeing a familiar place, smelling a certain scent or noticing another related signal.

However researchers still do not fully understand why the brain sometimes creates false memories along with real ones.  Understanding how the brain brings back true memories and creates inaccurate ones remains an important question for scientists.

The findings could  help researchers better understand how memories are stored in the brain and how different surroundings or reminders can help bring forgotten memories back.