Memories & Metabolism: Cold Exposure Link Found
- The brain's ability to form memories of cold experiences and use them to manage metabolism has been revealed in new research led by Prof.
- Scientists suggest this discovery could have significant implications for treating disorders like obesity and cancer, where thermoregulation and metabolism play a crucial role.
- The research team, including Dr.Andrea Muñoz Zamora, trained mice to associate a cold environment of 4 degrees Celsius with specific visual cues.After several days, the mice were exposed...
New research reveals a captivating link between cold exposure,primary_keyword,and metabolic control,opening doors too novel therapies. Scientists have discovered the brain actively uses memories of cold to regulate thermoregulation,influencing how the body maintains its internal temperature. This groundbreaking study, published in Nature, shows how “cold memories” trigger metabolic changes, paving the way for potential treatments for obesity and cancer. Lead researchers at Trinity College Dublin detail the role of the hippocampus and specific brain cells in encoding these memories,and how these memories influence secondary_keyword,like brown fat activity. News Directory 3 has the latest on this and other innovative scientific breakthroughs. Explore the potential of manipulating these memories for therapeutic gain. Discover what’s next …
Brain Memories: Cold Spurs Metabolism, Thermoregulation
Updated June 21, 2025
The brain’s ability to form memories of cold experiences and use them to manage metabolism has been revealed in new research led by Prof. Tomás Ryan at Trinity College Dublin. The study, published in Nature, details how these “cold memories” drive thermoregulation, the body’s process of maintaining its core internal temperature.
Scientists suggest this discovery could have significant implications for treating disorders like obesity and cancer, where thermoregulation and metabolism play a crucial role. It also paves the way for further research into how memories effect behavior and emotions.
The research team, including Dr.Andrea Muñoz Zamora, trained mice to associate a cold environment of 4 degrees Celsius with specific visual cues.After several days, the mice were exposed to the same visual cues at room temperature. The researchers found that the mice upregulated their metabolism,anticipating the cold environment.
Further examination revealed that specific cells in the hippocampus, a brain region associated with memory, coded for these cold memories. When these cells were stimulated artificially using optogenetics, the mice increased their metabolism to generate heat. Conversely, when these cells were inhibited, the mice could not express cold memories in response to the visual cues.
prof. Lydia Lynch, formerly of Trinity College Dublin and now at Princeton University, collaborated on the study, focusing on metabolism as a key indicator of cold experience. Mammals increase their metabolism to generate heat in cold environments through adaptive thermogenesis.
“We discovered that when mice are exposed to a cold temperature they form memories that allow them to up-regulate their body’s metabolism when they anticipate cold experiences in the future,” said Dr. Muñoz Zamora.
“A large part of this learned control of body temperature seems to be due to increased activity of brown adipose tissue — or brown fat — which can be controlled by innervations originating in the brain,” Prof. Lynch said. “Our brain must learn from the bodily experiences of cold,but then feeds back to control how our fat cells respond to cold.”
What’s next
Dr. Aaron Douglas, a joint lead author, suggested that manipulating thermoregulation through brown adipose tissue could offer new treatments for obesity and some cancers. Future research will explore whether manipulating cold memories in humans can alter metabolism for therapeutic purposes.