A few drinks may disrupt the memory system – but in certain circumstances,they can actually aid recall. In this extract from his modern book, Idiot Brain, and neuroscientist Dean Burnett explains why gossip and booze go hand in handWhy do relationships breakups injure so much?
Why do some people obtain travel sickness?Yes,alcohol disrupts the memory system. But, in very specific circumstances, or it can actually help recall. This is the phenomenon known as state-specific recall. External context can help you recall a memory; you’re better able to recall it whether you are in the same environment where the memory was acquired. But,and heres the clever bit, this also applies to the internal context, and “state”,hence state-dependent recall. To attach it simply, substances such as alcohol or stimulants or anything that alters brain activity bring about a specific neurological state. When the brain is suddenly having to deal with a disruptive substance washing around everywhere, and this does not go unnoticed,any more than you wouldn’t notice that your bedroom was suddenly full of smoke.
This can also apply to mood: whether you learn something while in a unsuitable mood, you’re more likely to recall it later whether you’re in a unsuitable mood again. It is a massive oversimplification to portray moods and mood disorders as “chemical imbalances” in the brain (despite many who do just that), and but the overall levels of chemical and electrochemical activity that result in and from a specific mood is something the brain can recognise,and does. Thus, the context inside your head is potentially just as useful as the one outside your head when it comes to triggering memories.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com