A recent study suggests that infants are capable of forming memories, even though they may not be able to recall them as adults. The study, which was published in the journal Science, involved 26 infants aged between 4.2 and 24.9 months. The infants were split into two age groups: those younger than 12 months and those between 12 and 24 months.
During the experiment, the babies were placed in an fMRI machine and shown a series of unique images for two seconds each. The researchers aimed to observe the activity in the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with emotions, memory, and the autonomic nervous system. Dr. Nick Turk-Browne, the lead author of the study and a professor at Yale University, highlighted the challenges of conducting memory experiments with babies in an MRI machine due to their movements and short attention spans.
After a brief delay, the babies were shown two images side by side: one familiar and one new. By tracking the infants’ eye movements and observing which image they focused on longer, the researchers could determine if the infants recognized the familiar image, indicating memory recall. The study found that older infants showed more hippocampal activation when encoding memories, and only older infants exhibited activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, which is important for memory-related decision-making and recognition.
This research adds to existing studies that have shown infants’ ability to encode memories. The study’s unique approach of linking memory encoding to brain activity provides valuable insights into infant memory development.
Dr. Lila Davachi, a psychology professor at Columbia University, who was not part of the study, commented on the significance of the research findings. She emphasized the remarkable demonstration of hippocampal encoding processes in infants for stimuli that may seem irrelevant to them. The study revealed a strong memory encoding ability in babies over 12 months old, possibly due to significant changes occurring in their bodies at that stage.
The rapid growth of the hippocampus and various developmental alterations in infants may contribute to this enhanced memory encoding, according to Turk-Browne, the lead researcher. While the exact reasons for the brain’s inability to retrieve early memories later in life remain unclear, Turk-Browne speculates that infant brain processing might affect the accuracy of memory retrieval.
Dr. Ghetti, another expert in the field, emphasized the importance of understanding how infancy shapes a child’s cognitive development. Infants absorb vast amounts of information during this critical stage, laying the foundation for language acquisition, social interactions, and environmental awareness. Repetition of activities like singing or reading can strengthen the parent-child bond and stimulate learning in babies.
Dr. Davachi highlighted that familiar routines can elicit a response in older children, indicating the lasting impact of early experiences. While adults may not recall infancy memories, they continue to learn from those formative experiences, whether positive or neutral. Dr. Ghetti stressed the value of visual exploration in facilitating learning in infants and encouraged parents to provide opportunities for their children to engage with their surroundings.
