Nasal breathing improves memory

What influence does our breathing have on our memory??

Does our breathing affect the storage of information in our memory? Researchers have now found that breathing through the nose can actually help store and consolidate memories.

The scientists of the Karolinska Institutet found in their current study that breathing through the nose can have a positive influence on the memory. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "The Journal of Neuroscience".

Can a damaged sense of smell indicate dementia?

Neuroscientists have previously investigated a possible link between smell and memory. These experts suggest that a damaged sense of smell may indicate later dementia. In investigating a possible relationship between odors and memory, physicians noted some interesting facts. For example, one study found that people with good spatial memory can better recognize smells. Another research has shown that information related to time and space is stored in the so-called anterior olfactory nucleus. This brain area is also involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Breathing through the nose improved the odor memory

The latest research now looked at the possible effects of breathing techniques on memory. The researchers came to the conclusion that breathing through the nose rather than through the mouth improves the so-called smell memory. The study asked male and female participants to learn twelve new smells on two occasions. After each session, the scientists asked the subjects to breathe through their nostrils or mouth for one hour. At the end of the study, the subjects smelled the old twelve fragrances they had learned along with a dozen new fragrances. The participants then had to decide whether they were old or new smells. The research shows how our brain integrates odors with spatiotemporal information to produce episodic memories, the authors of the study explain. When people breathed through their noses, they could remember smells better than breathing through their mouths.

Why was breathing through the nose a better reminder??

The study shows that people remember smells better when they breathe through their nostrils, while the memory is consolidated. It is the process that takes place between learning and recall. The scientists explain that previous research has already shown that so-called olfactory brain receptors can pick up not only odor but also small variations in airflow, activating different parts of the brain as they breathe in and out. However, researchers are currently unaware of how different breathing patterns affect human behavior. The idea that breathing affects our behavior is not really new, say the study authors. In fact, there has been such knowledge for thousands of years in areas such as meditation.

Further research is needed

Through their new research, the scientists now wanted to find out which exact mechanism is responsible for the effect of breathing on the so-called olfactory memory. An important next step is to measure what actually happens in the brain during breathing and how it relates to memory. This was virtually impossible before, because electrodes had to be inserted directly into the brain. The physicians have managed to get around this problem and now, together with other colleagues, they are developing a new means of measuring activity in the nose and brain, without having to use electrodes. (As)