Dynamic memory enqrams: Unveiling the celular mechanisms of memory encoding, consolidation, generalizaton, and updating in the brain

One of the fundamental questions of neuroscience is how the brain can store, generalize, and update memories. Memories are believed to be stored through biophysical and molecular changes in neuronal ensembles called engrams, which are distributed across different brain regions. The dynamic changes that occur in engram cells during the encoding, consolidation, generalization, and updating of memory are still not fully understood. However, recent advancements in techniques for labeling and manipulating neural activity have allowed for investigation of the dynamic changes of memory engrams across different memory processes. Understanding engram dynamics may inform interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder and memory disorders. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in dynamic memory engrams across memory encoding, consolidation, generalization, and updating, shedding new light on the mechanisms underlying engram formation and maturation.