Brain-cell helpers powered by norepinephrine during fear-memory formation

(RIKEN) A sustained state of vigilance will generate a different type of memory than a momentary startle, and these differences are linked to distinct signaling molecules in the brains of mice. Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) have visualized these dynamics in the living mouse brain for the first time, observing two molecular pathways that support memory function. These processes take place in astrocytes, revealing another important way in which these cells help neurons.