Study Finds Hibernation Causes Significant Synapse Loss in Mice

A recent study published in Science by researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University explored how memories are stored in the brain. Kazumasa Tanaka, a neuroscientist involved in the study, explained that connections among neurons, which strengthen and grow during learning, change significantly over time. The research team induced a hibernation-like state in mice, resulting in the loss of over half of their synapses. Despite this synapse loss, the mice retained their memories. The study builds on previous work by Takeshi Sakurai from the University of Tsukuba, who developed a method to artificially activate the hibernation circuit in mammals, including mice, by targeting specific neurons in the hypothalamus.