What if your brain could prepare your body for the cold just by remembering it? A groundbreaking study led by researchers at Trinity College Dublin has found that mice trained to associate certain visual cues with cold temperatures actually triggered their own metabolic response when they saw those cues again—despite being in a warm room.
The secret lies in memory “engrams”: specific groups of brain cells that store memories. When these cold-memory cells in the hippocampus were reactivated—either naturally or in the lab—the mice increased their body temperature and metabolism as if they were actually cold. This means the brain doesn’t just react to the environment, it can anticipate it and prepare the body accordingly.
Even more striking, this process activated brown fat, a special type of fat that burns energy to generate heat. Since brown fat plays a role in metabolic health, this discovery could pave the way for new treatments for obesity, diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease.
Beyond its clinical relevance, the research offers a new perspective on how bodily memories shape our behaviour and emotional states, reinforcing the idea that mind and body are deeply interconnected. This pioneering study shows that even cold leaves a trace in memory—and that trace can change how our bodies function.
Could this help us train our bodies in other ways? While the study was done in mice, it raises exciting questions: could we one day “train” our bodies to prepare for cold, or even burn more energy, through memory-based cues? Understanding how memory influences metabolism might open new, non-invasive strategies to improve health—perhaps even using virtual reality, mental imagery, or sensory associations as part of future therapies.
Associate Professor at University of Granada