Unraveling the Link Between Autism and Childhood Memories

Neuroscientists at Trinity College Dublin have discovered that the altered brain state associated with autism prevents the usual loss of memories formed during infancy, shedding light on the connection between childhood memories and maternal immune responses. Using a mouse model, the researchers found that exposure to maternal immune activation safeguards against developmental memory loss by impacting the function of memory cells in the brain. The study also revealed that forgotten memories from infancy can be permanently reinstated if the correct memory cells are activated in adults. These findings suggest that infantile amnesia is a retrieval deficiency rather than a loss of stored memories, and have implications for understanding memory and forgetting in child development and autism.