PS

ABSTRACT Several physical phenomena accompany the firing of electrical impulses by axons. Some of these, such as the microscopic swelling of axons, alter the transmission of light through axons. This produces what are called "intrinsic optical signals" because optical methods can be used to see axons fire without adding voltage-sensitive dyes or using electronic amplifiers. These physical changes allow neurons tocommunicate through nonsynaptic signals to adjacent cells, such as other neurons or glia. Two of the three videos in this Teaching Resource show the optical manifestations of the microscopic swelling of axons that accompanies the firing of action potentials in cultured neurons, and one shows the nonsynaptic release of ATP that occurs through membrane channels that are stimulated by neuronal swelling.

The fundamental mechanism of short term memory is mechanical. Good evidence comes from the vasoconstriction that norepinephrine causes in the brain. 

When people are frightened, a pulse of norepinephrine is delivered. This mostly affects those parts of the brain that are active when the fright occurs. Norepinephrine shuts down doing what one was doing so that the fight or flight response can take over quickly and fully. The result is a decrease in pressure on the circuits that were active which allows the microscopic swelling mentioned in the abstract to persist.

With the swelling comes increased intra-neuron conduction and propensity to fire which increases the likelihood of that memory or activity being reactivated, such as when it is reviewed after the fact and committed to medium and long term memory by strengthening the synaptic connections. 

From this knowledge flow many realizations, such as how to become a genius and quickly get rid of headaches.