{
  "id": 12733903,
  "title": "Fruit fly study reveals how neural gates switch on short-term memory",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/fruit-fly-study-reveals-how-neural-gates-switch-on-short-term-memory",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-07T23:00:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-fruit-fly-reveals-neural-gates.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers at NYU Langone Health have found that fruit flies possess a unique neural circuit that enables them to form short-term memories in response to odors. Despite having fewer than 200,000 neurons, the fruit fly brain shares similarities with the human brain in terms of organization and neuron communication. The study, published in Nature, reveals a \"split attractor network\" in which two types of neurons, PFG and hΔK, work together to encode memory content and control the timing of memory formation. When hΔK activity is blocked, PFG neurons track the fly's orientation, but when communication between the two neurons is allowed, the fly can lock onto a specific odor source and move toward it. This mechanism, known as split attractor network, provides a balance between stability and quick activation, which is crucial for working memory.",
  "summary": "A study in fruit flies led by researchers at NYU Langone Health has confirmed a long-standing suspicion about how the brain encodes short-term memories.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}