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Merkle comments on Brief response to kalla724 on preserving personal identity with vitrification - Less Wrong Discussion

8 Post author: Synaptic 16 June 2012 01:28AM

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Comment author: Merkle 24 June 2012 04:43:28AM 1 point [-]

To quote a discussion of long term memory and the specific synaptic changes that take place from Molecular Repair of the Brain:

What, exactly, might these changes be? Very strong statements are possible in simple "model systems". Bailey and Chen, for example, identified several specific changes in synaptic structure that encoded learned memories from sea slugs (Aplysia californica) by direct examination of the changed synapse with an electron microscope[36].

"Using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to label the presynaptic terminals (varicosities) of sensory neurons and serial reconstruction to analyze synaptic contacts, we compared the fine structure of identified sensory neuron synapses in control and behaviorally modified animals. Our results indicate that learning can modulate long-term synaptic effectiveness by altering the number, size, and vesical complement of synaptic active zones."

  1. "Morphological basis of long-term habituation and sensitization in Aplysia" by Craig H. Bailey and Mary Chen, Science 220, April 1, 1983, pages 91-93