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P rofessor John Dalrymple-Alford leads the Neurological Foundation-funded study, which focuses on a part of the brain called the "anterior thalamic nuclei" (ATN). It sits in the thalamus, an egg-shaped region in the centre of the brain. “Memory failure in stroke, alcohol addiction, perinatal oxygen deprivation, and Alzheimer's and dementia includes thalamus injury or dysfunction. Profound amnesia can also result from injury to the very centre of the brain,” Professor Dalrymple-Alford says. “The region has neural connections with many other key memory structures. We need to understand better the relative importance of these connections and how they support memory. “By enhancing our understanding of the thalamus, and its relation to the brain’s memory networks, we will provide a basis for potential future therapies for all of these conditions, and it will have international implications for other memory-related research.” Prof. Dalrymple-Alford has received Neurological Foundation grants for memory research since 1996. This latest study builds on other work to directly test the fundamental question of how the thalamus influences other memory- related brain structures. It utilises a cutting-edge neuroscience technique called optogenetics, where light is used to influence the behaviour of very specific neurons. The study observes how changes in neurons’ activity influence rats' behaviour during tasks that look at ‘event’ memories – such as memory for places recently visited or the ‘order’ in which events occur*. “Reversing or reducing memory deficits associated with brain impairment is one of the most important goals in the brain sciences. We are extremely grateful to the Neurological Foundation for supporting us towards this goal.” 6 Headlines Unscrambling the egg for memory research A study at the University of Canterbury is providing new insight into how memory loss occurs in a curious part of the brain that scientists know little about. “Reversing or reducing memory deficits associated with brain impairment is one of the most important goals in the brain sciences. We are extremely grateful to the Neurological Foundation for supporting us towards this goal.” Professor John Darymple-Alford is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Canterbury, and the New Zealand Brain Research Institute in Christchurch. His broad research interests include neuropsychology including disorders of memory, and recovery of function after brain damage. *All Neurological Foundation-funded studies involving animals require approval by a New Zealand ethics committee, which includes representatives from organisations such as the SPCA and the NZ Veterinary Association.