Overview

• The study, published in 'Science,' used fMRI scans to analyze hippocampal activity in children aged 4 to 25 months.
• Findings show one-year-old children can encode experiences in the hippocampus, contradicting the belief that this brain region is too underdeveloped in infancy.
• Experts emphasize the study focuses on short-term memory encoding and does not establish links to autobiographical memory formation.
• The results suggest that infantile amnesia may stem from later brain processes rather than an underdeveloped hippocampus.
• Researchers highlight the potential long-term implications of early experiences, including the importance of protecting children from trauma.