Is a network of neurons the only factor in memory?

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

Background

I'm actually writing a science fiction novel set a couple decades in the future. Brains are not my field. I've done as much research as I could.

In the story, the protagonist finds out he has died, but to have his deceased brain scanned, mapping out all the nuerons and synapse connections. Perhaps with an advanced MRI.

Then a "system" essentially iterates over many various stimuli. Simulating to the brain the visual sensation of seeing a bird, for example. The machine looks for the corresponding neurons to fire when seeing a bird. The machine iterates over many birds to understand how this brain stores "birds", and repeats this process for basically anything that could be detected from the senses.

Then this brain could be stored in a computer and bioprinted.

I've seen videos of researchers today simulating a primitive network of neurons, so this seems vaguely possible. I know we are also currently capable of bioprinting blood vessels and skin today.

Question

If a brain was bioprinted with the exact neuron network and synapse connections as a host brain, would this brain theoretically hold the previous memories from the host it's made from?