The cerebellum, also called the 'little brain' is a structure located at the back of the brain, and is mainly responsible for muscle control, including balance and movement. Now, researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland, have discovered a new function of the cerebellum. The little brain plays an important role in remembering emotional experiences, a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says.
Memory comprises both positive and negative emotional experiences, and is a phenomenon important to our survival. This is because memories help one remember dangerous situations in order to avoid them in the future.
The brain structure called amygdala plays an important role in the processing of emotions and memories. After emotions activate amygdala, it facilitates the storage of information in various regions of the cerebrum.
How was the study conducted?
The new study investigates the role of the cerebellum in storing emotional experiences. As many as 1,418 participants were involved in the study. The researchers showed the subjects emotional and neutral images, and recorded their brain activity using magnetic resonance imaging.
Later on, the researchers conducted a memory test. It was found that the participants remembered the positive and negative images much better than the neutral images.
According to the study, the improved storage of emotional images was linked with an increase in brain activity in the areas of the cerebrum already known to play a part in the storage of information. Surprisingly, the researchers also identified increased activity in the cerebellum.
How the cerebellum helps remember emotional experiences
During the process of enhanced storage of emotional images, the cerebellum shows stronger communication with various regions of the cerebrum. The cerebellum receives information from the cingulate gyrus, a region of the brain that is important in the perception and evaluation of feelings. The cerebellum transmits signals to various regions of the brain, including the amygdala and hippocampus. According to the study, the hippocampus plays a central role in memory storage.
In a statement released by University of Basel, Professor Dominique de Quervain, one of the authors on the paper, said the results indicate that the cerebellum is an integral component of a network that is responsible for the improved storage of emotional information. He also said that an improved memory for emotional information has some downsides, including the fact that it leads to anxiety in the case of negative experiences. Therefore, the new findings may be relevant to understanding psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.