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1: Neuron. 2002 Oct 24;36(3):527-38.Click here to read Links
Comment in:
Neuron. 2002 Oct 24;36(3):340-3.

Cellular and systems reconsolidation in the hippocampus.

Debiec J, LeDoux JE, Nader K.

Department of Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, 31-501, Cracow, Poland.

Cellular theories of memory consolidation posit that new memories require new protein synthesis in order to be stored. Systems consolidation theories posit that the hippocampus has a time-limited role in memory storage, after which the memory is independent of the hippocampus. Here, we show that intra-hippocampal infusions of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin caused amnesia for a consolidated hippocampal-dependent contextual fear memory, but only if the memory was reactivated prior to infusion. The effect occurred even if reactivation was delayed for 45 days after training, a time when contextual memory is independent of the hippocampus. Indeed, reactivation of a hippocampus-independent memory caused the trace to again become hippocampus dependent, but only for 2 days rather than for weeks. Thus, hippocampal memories can undergo reconsolidation at both the cellular and systems levels.

PMID: 12408854 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]