Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Amnesia

Amnesia

Amnesia is a condition marked by long-term memory loss, which impairs the ability to recall past events or create new memories.
The severity and duration of memory loss vary depending on the type and underlying cause. Amnesia is classified into two main types: retrograde and anterograde.
Retrograde amnesia is marked by the loss of memories formed before the onset of the condition. Patients may recall distant past events but often forget those occurring shortly before the incident.
Anterograde...

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or playing an...

Dissociative Amnesia

Dissociative Amnesia

Dissociative amnesia is a complex psychological condition that manifests as an inability to recall personal information, often tied to traumatic or stressful events. Unlike general amnesia, individuals with this condition retain the ability to perform routine activities and procedural tasks, such as operating a phone or navigating public transportation, yet experience profound gaps in autobiographical memory. These lapses may encompass significant life events, such as suicide attempts or...

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue

In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...

Hepatic Encephalopathy

Hepatic Encephalopathy

DefinitionHepatic encephalopathy is a reversible neurologic syndrome that results from advanced liver dysfunction or portosystemic shunting. It leads to disturbances in cognition, behavior, and motor function due to the brain’s exposure to gut-derived toxins that the liver fails to detoxify.EtiologyThis condition develops either in the setting of acute fulminant hepatitis or progressively during chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Portosystemic shunting—including...

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Disruption of major Ptchd1 isoforms causes autistic traits in social behavior and communication.

Molecular psychiatry·2026

Same author

An X-linked long non-coding RNA, PTCHD1-AS, and the core features of autism.

Nature·2026

Same author

Temporally gated offline engram ensemble reverberation in the lateral amygdala is required for fear memory consolidation.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Microglia-dependent regulation of fear memory extinction.

Nature neuroscience·2026

Same author

Engrams and Memory: My Scientific "Eras Tour".

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026

Same author

Neuronal competition shapes the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of precise spatial memories in mice.

Current biology : CB·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain

Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain

Published on: May 12, 2018

Infantile amnesia: a neurogenic hypothesis.

Sheena A Josselyn¹, Paul W Frankland

¹Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada M5G 1X8. sheena.josselyn@sickkids.ca

Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)

|August 21, 2012

Summary

Infantile amnesia, the inability to recall early childhood memories, may be caused by the hippocampus adding too many new neurons. High levels of hippocampal neurogenesis interfere with forming lasting memories.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Psychology
Cognitive Science

Background:

Infantile amnesia is the inability to recall early childhood memories, a paradox given children's learning capacity.
Existing theories include cognitive factors like language and self-awareness, but animal studies suggest biological underpinnings.
Protracted brain development is implicated, yet specific mechanisms remain unclear.

Observation:

Infants exhibit high levels of hippocampal neurogenesis (new neuron formation).
This period of high neurogenesis coincides with an inability to form lasting memories.
Declining neurogenesis correlates with the emergence of stable long-term memory formation.

Findings:

Proposes a novel hypothesis linking infantile amnesia to high postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis.

More Related Videos

Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: November 19, 2012

A Neonatal Mouse Spinal Cord Compression Injury Model

A Neonatal Mouse Spinal Cord Compression Injury Model

Published on: March 27, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain

Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain

Published on: May 12, 2018

Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: November 19, 2012

A Neonatal Mouse Spinal Cord Compression Injury Model

A Neonatal Mouse Spinal Cord Compression Injury Model

Published on: March 27, 2016

Suggests that the continuous addition of new neurons disrupts existing memory circuits.

High neurogenesis likely replaces synaptic connections crucial for enduring memory storage.

Implications:

Provides a specific biological mechanism for infantile amnesia.
Highlights the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in memory development and limitations.
Offers new avenues for research into memory formation and retention across the lifespan.