Dendrites could also be key to studying and reminiscence, examine suggests: Newsroom

DALLAS – July 16, 2026 – Branchlike buildings known as dendrites that stretch from neurons seem to make their very own computations unbiased of the cell physique, serving to particular person mind cells retailer recollections of the previous, reply to the current, and anticipate the longer term, a examine led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers suggests. The findings, printed in Science, characterize a paradigm shift in present fashions of how studying and reminiscence happen.

“This shifts our entire perspective. Rather than acting as simple switches, neurons behave more like sophisticated processors with internal divisions of labor, dramatically increasing the brain’s computational capacity,” mentioned Attila Losonczy, M.D., Ph.D., Professor within the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and of Neuroscience and Director of the Program in Memory Longevity (PML) at UT Southwestern. Dr. Losonczy led the examine with co-first authors Asako Noguchi, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher within the PML, and Satoshi Terada, Ph.D., a former postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Losonczy.

More than a century in the past, scientists found that neurons have two forms of anatomy extending from the cell physique: dendrites – named for the Greek phrase for tree, dendron – and axons, the threadlike elements of neurons that conduct electrical impulses to different cells. Until just lately, dendrites have been largely considered passive collectors and dispersers {of electrical} info processed within the cell physique. Learning and reminiscence are thought to happen by way of the strengthening of connections known as synapses, that are nearly completely positioned on dendrites and permit electrical indicators to cross extra freely between neurons.

For a long time, neuroscientists have hypothesized that dendrites can course of electrical info independently, and research over the previous decade utilizing neurons in petri dishes have strengthened that concept. But direct proof throughout conduct has been missing. If that is true in dwell animals, Dr. Losonczy defined, it might imply dendrites play an lively position in serving to form synaptic studying and reminiscence formation by serving as particular person minicomputers that affect exercise within the cell physique.

To check this concept, Drs. Losonczy, Noguchi, and Terada and their colleagues used just lately developed know-how that may visualize electrical impulses in organic buildings with decision nicely under a micrometer – about 1/seventieth the width of a human hair. This advance allowed the researchers to view electrical exercise within the dendrites of dwell mice as they carried out learning- and memory-based duties.

The staff visualized this electrical exercise in place cells – neurons within the mind’s hippocampus which have an essential position in spatial reminiscence and navigation – as mice navigated virtual-reality (VR) areas looking for drops of water as rewards. In areas the mice had already turn out to be acquainted with, the scientists discovered {that electrical} exercise within the dendrites typically matched that of the cell our bodies.

When the researchers moved the reward to a brand new location, the cell our bodies rapidly adjusted their exercise – however some dendrites appeared to retain the sooner reminiscence, persevering with to show the identical patterns {of electrical} impulses. After the researchers had the mice discover a brand new VR house, a number of the dendrites modified their exercise earlier than the cell physique did – anticipating the brand new sample {of electrical} impulses that the cell physique finally adopted after repeatedly navigating the novel house. This distinction is a putting and sudden discovering: Changing solely the reward location left dendrites lagging behind the cell physique, whereas altering the setting brought on dendrites to steer it, suggesting the 2 forms of change interact dendritic processing in essentially other ways.

When the mice rested after every process, the staff discovered their dendrites replayed the identical patterns {of electrical} exercise detected throughout navigation. Since related replay in cell our bodies has been linked to reminiscence consolidation, this discovering suggests dendrites play a key half in consolidation as nicely, Dr. Losonczy mentioned.

Together, he defined, these outcomes recommend dendrites are lively individuals in studying and reminiscence, relatively than passive buildings. The staff plans to proceed learning dendrites to raised perceive how they impart with the cell physique and whether or not their electrical exercise could go awry in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological problems. In the close to time period, the researchers are testing whether or not neurons in a hippocampal area with completely different synaptic enter patterns present the same dissociation, and they’re additionally growing computational fashions to attach dendritic dynamics to studying and reminiscence capability on the circuit degree.

This examine was funded by the Human Frontier Science Program (LT0003/2024-L); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Overseas Research Fellowships); the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH124047 and R01MH124867); the National Institute on Aging (RF1AG080818); and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U01NS115530, R01NS121106, R01NS131728, and R01NS133381).

Dr. Losonczy holds the Distinguished Chair in Brain Injury and Repair.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of many nation’s premier educational medical facilities, integrates pioneering biomedical analysis with distinctive medical care and schooling. The establishment’s college members have acquired six Nobel Prizes and embrace 28 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 26 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time college of almost 3,400 is liable for groundbreaking medical advances and is dedicated to translating science-driven analysis rapidly to new medical remedies. UT Southwestern physicians in additional than 80 specialties look after greater than 143,000 hospitalized sufferers, attend to greater than 470,000 emergency room instances, and oversee almost 5.3 million outpatient visits a 12 months.