Rabinovitch A, Rabinovitch R, Braunstein D, Smolik E, Biton Y
Physics Dept. Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Makif YudAlef, Rishon Lezion, Israel.
BMC Biol. 2025 Jul 22;23(1):221. doi: 10.1186/s12915-025-02323-7.
Memories are programmed in the brain as connected neuronal ensembles called engrams. However, the method by which the brain forms engrams during memory encoding is not understood.
We have created a mechanistic mathematical model showing a possible method of the encoding process. Our model is based on the cellular automata approach, which can specifically distinguish between neurons operated on by the synaptic and those operated on by the ephaptic modes. This feature allows us to confirm that the ephaptic mode induces the formation of repeating collections of operating neurons (sub-engrams) that can become memory-preserving entities, and the synaptic influence is manifested by molding these sub-engrams by pruning small ones and size-increasing and rounding larger ones to form the engrams' final structures.
Ephaptic and synaptic dual-participation in the memory encoding process was exhibited. The sequence of activities was unveiled. We also speculate on possible procedures the brain can employ to enable the ephaptic mode to overtake the normal, synaptic-dominating one.
记忆在大脑中被编码为称为记忆印迹的相互连接的神经元集合。然而，大脑在记忆编码过程中形成记忆印迹的方式尚不清楚。
我们创建了一个机械数学模型，展示了一种可能的编码过程方法。我们的模型基于细胞自动机方法，该方法可以具体区分通过突触作用的神经元和通过电突触模式作用的神经元。这一特性使我们能够确认，电突触模式诱导形成可成为记忆保存实体的重复活动神经元集合（子记忆印迹），而突触影响则通过修剪较小的子记忆印迹并增大较大子记忆印迹的尺寸并使其变圆以形成记忆印迹的最终结构来体现。
展示了电突触和突触在记忆编码过程中的双重参与。揭示了活动顺序。我们还推测了大脑可能采用的使电突触模式超越正常的、以突触为主导的模式的可能过程。
