The next time you remember your first kiss, the taste of a childhood meal, or the lyrics to a song from high school, thank Eric Kandel and a tiny sea slug. Through the lens of , we no longer see memory as a mystery, but as a magnificent molecular dance—one that we are only beginning to choreograph.
For LTM to occur, the serotonin signal must be repeated (spaced repetition). This repeated signal sends cAMP into the nucleus of the neuron, activating a protein called (cAMP Response Element-Binding protein). CREB acts like a master switch, turning on genes that build new synaptic spines. kandel neuroscience
As Kandel wrote in his seminal textbook, Principles of Neural Science : "The mind is a set of operations carried out by the brain." The next time you remember your first kiss,
Tag a friend studying neuroscience! 👇 This repeated signal sends cAMP into the nucleus
Kandel’s work explains why traumatic memories are so "sticky." Repeated stress floods the brain with serotonin and cortisol, hyper-activating the CREB pathway. This forces the brain to grow too many connections for that fearful memory.
Whether you're a student, researcher, or clinician, revisiting Kandel’s insights is always rewarding.