Every activity in the brain involves the transfer of signals between neurons. Frequently, as many as one thousand signals rain down on a single neuron simultaneously. To ensure that precise signals are delivered, the brain possesses a sophisticated inhibitory system. Stefan Remy and colleagues at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the University Bonn have illuminated how this system works.

“The system acts like a filter, only letting the most important impulses pass,” explains Remy. “This produces the targeted neuronal patterns that are indispensible for long-term memory storage.”