Even if the brain is not bombarded with high amounts of sensory information, neuronal activity does not cease to occur. There are high amounts of synaptic transmission that are non-random, and this non-random activity is hypothesised to influence the creation of engrams, the physical representation of memories. Optogenetics involves the use of light to control the synaptic transmission of neurons genetically modified to express light sensitive ion channels. The Clozapine N-oxide (CNO) injections in mice take at least an hour to stimulate neuronal activity and is not a realistic depiction of real-time memory processing. Running neuronal labeling, training, and retrieval tests with mice using optogenetics might depict formation of engrams more accuratly. Scientists could include female mice in a separate experimental group that undergoes the same synthetic memory generation. Male mice were tested in order to rule out any discrepancies resulting from a difference in hormones, and the subsequent affect on memory retrieval. It would be interesting, however, to prove if there is a difference associated with hormones and memory. This difference might explain why some sexes are more predisposed to certain neurological conditions associated with memory, such as women experiencing Alzheimer’s at higher rates.
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