IMR Press / JIN / Volume 18 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin.2019.02.6101
Open Access Short Communication
The tripartite mechanism as the basis for a biochemical memory engram
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1 MX Biotech Ltd., Jerusalem 95744, Israel
2 Institute of Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
*Correspondence: gilon@vms.huji.ac.il (Chaim Gilon)
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2019, 18(2), 181–185; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin.2019.02.6101
Submitted: 11 January 2019 | Accepted: 10 June 2019 | Published: 30 June 2019
Copyright: © 2019 Marx and Gilon Published by IMR press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Abstract

In this paper, we address the enigma of the memory engram, the physical trace of memory in terms of its composition, processes, and location. A neurochemical approach assumes that neural processes hinge on the same terms used to describe the biochemical functioning of other biological tissues and organs. We define a biochemical process, a tripartite mechanism involving the interactions of neurons with their neural extracellular matrix, trace metals, and neurotransmitters as the basis of a biochemical memory engram. The latter inextricably link physiological responses, including sensations with affective states, such as emotions.

Keywords
Cognitive information
affective biochemistry
trace metals
neurotransmitters
extracellular matrix
memory engram
emotive memory
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