Brain Rhythms Unlock How We Switch Between Old Memories and New Adventures: Study - Video

Your brain is a master switchboard, constantly rewiring itself to balance memory and new experiences—a secret to human adaptability and survival. A recent international study published in PLoS Computational Biology reveals how the brain flexibly changes its communication routes based on context—whether recalling familiar memories or processing new information. The research sheds light on the brain’s dynamic balance between two inhibitory circuits that regulate slow (theta) and fast (gamma) rhythms.

The brain’s ability to recall memories or process new information relies on its flexible communication pathways. It shifts between different routes depending on whether we are experiencing something familiar or encountering something new. This flexible switching allows the brain to prioritize stored memories or fresh sensory inputs, helping us adapt and respond effectively to different situations.

To explore this, Researchers combined computational models with experimental recordings from the hippocampus of rats navigating familiar and new environments. They identified two communication modes: one prioritizes memory reactivation for known environments, while the other integrates memory with novel sensory inputs for new situations.

The study found that this flexible switching depends on the strength and balance of synaptic connections controlling feedforward and feedback inhibition in neural circuits. These findings overturn prior beliefs that slow brain rhythms merely organize fast activity; instead, the relationship is bidirectional. This intricate dance allows the brain to prioritize inputs from either stored memories or fresh sensory data, adapting in real time to cognitive demands.

Beyond memory, the researchers suggest this balance may also play a role in attention and other cognitive functions. The findings could inform new therapies for neurological disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease by targeting disrupted brain rhythms.

Reference: Dimitrios Chalkiadakis, Jaime Sánchez-Claros, Víctor J. López-Madrona, Santiago Canals, Claudio R. Mirasso. The role of feedforward and feedback inhibition in modulating theta-gamma cross-frequency interactions in neural circuits. PLOS Computational Biology, 2025; 21 (8): e1013363 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013363