人类的记忆是不同的心理过程的结果，如学习，记忆和遗忘。然而，这些不同的进程不能被直接观测到。巴塞尔大学的研究人员成功地使用计算模型对它们进行了描述。科学家们首次因此能够识别基因组用来操控特定的记忆过程。他们的研究结果发表在最新一期的《美国国家科学院院刊》杂志上。
由于我们的记忆我们可以学习外语，完成考试和记住过去的美丽时刻。为了确保最佳的记忆性能，几个不同的认知过程必须相互配合协调。信息进入人的大脑首先要经过学习，然后再是储存。之后，当我们想要记住它们时需要依靠大脑正常运转的检索过程。
是否所有这些不同的记忆过程是被相同或不同的基因和分子机制所控制迄今为止大部分是未知的。原因之一是许多流程不能直接测量，因此科学至今仍无法解答。
数学家Gediminas Luksys 博士现在已经能够成功地描述各种首次人类记忆的过程。该研究使用的数据超过1700个成年人。由于计算机模型研究人员能够测量该过程并且对特定的心理过程可直接进行基因分析。
研究结果表明，不同的基因图谱构成特定的记忆过程：这项研究报告称转运蛋白组和学习过程之间的关联与一种细胞粘附集和记忆存储过程之间的关联相同。这一发现有助于更好的理解人类记忆复杂的过程，这可能会引发新疗法来治疗各种未来的记忆障碍。
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Computational dissection of human episodic memory reveals mental process-specific genetic profiles
Gediminas Luksysa,1, Matthias Fastenratha, David Coynela, Virginie Freytagb, Leo Gschwindb, Angela Heckb, Frank Jessenc,d, Wolfgang Maierd,e, Annette Milnikb,f, Steffi G. Riedel-Hellerg, Martin Schererh, Klara Spaleka, Christian Voglerb,f, Michael Wagnerd,e, Steffen Wolfsgruberd,e, Andreas Papassotiropoulosb,f,i,j,1,2, and Dominique J.-F. de Quervaina,f,j,1,2
Episodic memory performance is the result of distinct mental processes, such as learning, memory maintenance, and emotional modulation of memory strength. Such processes can be effectively dissociated using computational models. Here we performed gene set enrichment analyses of model parameters estimated from the episodic memory performance of 1,765 healthy young adults. We report robust and replicated associations of the amine compound SLC (solute-carrier) transporters gene set with the learning rate, of the collagen formation and transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase activity gene sets with the modulation of memory strength by negative emotional arousal, and of the L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) interactions gene set with the repetition-based memory improvement. Furthermore, in a large functional MRI sample of 795 subjects we found that the association between L1CAM interactions and memory maintenance revealed large clusters of differences in brain activity in frontal cortical areas. Our findings provide converging evidence that distinct genetic profiles underlie specific mental processes of human episodic memory. They also provide empirical support to previous theoretical and neurobiological studies linking specific neuromodulators to the learning rate and linking neural cell adhesion molecules to memory maintenance. Furthermore, our study suggests additional memory-related genetic pathways, which may contribute to a better understanding of the neurobiology of human memory.