Overview

• Scientists at Cornell University found that pupil size during non-REM sleep indicates whether the brain is replaying new or old memories.
• Contracted pupils correspond to the consolidation of recently learned information, while dilated pupils reflect the replay of older memories.
• The study reveals how the brain prevents 'catastrophic forgetting,' ensuring new memories do not overwrite older ones.
• Conducted on mice, the research used advanced eye-tracking and brain-monitoring technologies to synchronize pupil changes with neural activity.
• The findings could lead to improved memory enhancement techniques for humans and help address challenges in artificial intelligence related to memory integration.