title: Temporary inactivation of the dorsal hippocampus induces a transient impairment in retrieval of aversive memory.
abstract: The reconsolidation hypothesis, which predicts that consolidated memories become labile and sensitive to amnestic agents upon reactivation, has been one of the most debated topics in memory research over recent years. One of the main criticisms to this hypothesis is the fact that some studies have shown the effects of "reconsolidation blockade" to be transient. Here we show that muscimol inactivation of the dorsal hippocampus following memory reactivation produces a reversible impairment of step-down inhibitory avoidance memory in rats. Moreover, we show that the reversal of this effect is dependent on the passage of time, and not on repeated testing. The implications of the findings to the interpretation of the phenomenon of transient retrieval impairment induced by post-reactivation pharmacological interventions on memory systems are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Depto. de Bioquímica, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. olavoamaral@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Olavo B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luft
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cammarota
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roesler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D009118:Muscimol