Why Don’t We Have Childhood Memories?

PsychologyFor Editorial Team Reviewed by PsychologyFor Editorial Team Editorial Review Reviewed by PsychologyFor Team Editorial Review

A study determines that the overproduction of neurons that occurs during the first years of life could be the cause of “erasing” memory and increasing learning capacity.

Why don't we have childhood memories?

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If you ask any adult about their childhood memories, the chances are that they will barely be able to recreate an isolated anecdote that is probably a mix of their own memory and what those who were present may have told them. But why does this happen?

Excess neurons

Apparently, and as concluded by doctors Sheena Josselyn and Paul Frankland, from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the University of Toronto, the large number of new neurons that are generated during the first years of life “cleans” the mind of old memories. This circumstance also causes an increase in learning capacity.

In fact, it has been shown that the formation of brain cells in the hippocampus – the brain region linked to memory and learning – reaches its highest levels just before and after birth and decreases thereafter.

“Before the age of four or five we have a very dynamic hippocampus that cannot store information in a stable way,” said Frankland, a specialist in neuroscience and mental health, and “as new neurons are generated, memory can be compromised.” in that process.

orientaciopsicologica.jpg

Photo by Orientació Psicològica.

Tests in mice

To justify this theory, the researchers analyzed the behavior of young and adult mice after artificially working on neurogenesis. In the case of adults, they promoted the overproduction of neurons and discovered that it accentuated their ability to forget the memory they were gaining.

While decreasing the production of brain cells in the younger mice, they did not suffer from the well-known childhood amnesia. That is, they did not forget the memories they had.

Psychological theories in question

It is also a study that calls into question some of the psychological theories that, until now, justified this phenomenon. Thus, for example, psychological-cognitive theories related to childhood amnesia determine that the ability to have long-term memory is directly related to the development of the mind, language and sense of self.

But, as Frankland and Josselyn explain, the research confirms that “animals also suffer from infantile amnesia, so it cannot be explained in exclusively human terms.”

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  • This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice. In case of a mental health crisis or emergency, call your local emergency services or contact a licensed professional immediately.