Science Magazine Podcast Why babies forget, and how fear lingers in the brain
Mar 14, 2024
Discover why infants' memories fade and how the brain encodes generalized fear. From infantile amnesia to the lingering effects of fear on the brain, this podcast explores fascinating neuroscience topics. Uncover the mysteries of memory formation and fear responses, with implications for conditions like Alzheimer's and anxiety disorders like PTSD.
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Sarah Crespi's Earliest Memory
- Sarah Crespi's earliest memory is likely fabricated from photos, not a genuine recollection.
- She doesn't remember anything before school, highlighting the phenomenon of infantile amnesia.
The Puzzle of Infantile Amnesia
- Infantile amnesia is puzzling because babies learn rapidly yet forget these crucial early experiences.
- Sigmund Freud's theory linked it to suppressing traumatic birth experiences, a concept researchers are exploring.
Infantile Amnesia in Mammals
- Other mammals also experience infantile amnesia, challenging the theory that it's linked to language development.
- Precocial mammals, who are independent from birth, may not experience infantile amnesia because they need immediate survival memories.