Genesis of memory

In this scene of the developing hippocampus captured by Julie Pilon, neurons organize themselves into a neat layer, their orange extensions stretching deep into the brain to establish future memory circuits.
Cyan cell bodies trace the architecture of the pyramidal layer, essential for the formation and consolidation of memories.

But this region, a pillar of cognition, is also a vulnerable home.
In temporal lobe epilepsy, early alterations - abnormal migration, hyperconnectivity, poor axonal guidance - can silently disrupt this organization, paving the way for seizures.

By observing how these networks are set up with such precision, researchers are seeking to understand how a hippocampus can learn... or go off the rails.

It's in this fragile balance between order and plasticity that part of the brain's destiny takes shape, very early on.

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