Behavioural memory reconsolidation of food and fear memories.
The reactivation of a memory through retrieval can render it subject to disruption or modification through the process of memory reconsolidation. In both humans and rodents, briefly reactivating a fear memory results in effective erasure by subsequent extinction training. Here we show that a similar strategy is equally effective in the disruption of appetitive pavlovian cue-food memories. However, systemic administration of the NMDA receptor partial agonist D-cycloserine, under the same behavioural conditions, did not potentiate appetitive memory extinction, suggesting that reactivation does not enhance subsequent extinction learning. To confirm that reactivation followed by extinction reflects a behavioural analogue of memory reconsolidation, we show that prevention of contextual fear memory reactivation by the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel blocker nimodipine interferes with the amnestic outcome. Therefore, the reconsolidation process can be manipulated behaviourally to disrupt both aversive and appetitive memories.
University of Birmingham, School of Psychology, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Charlotte R
CR
Flavell
David J
DJ
Barber
Jonathan L C
JL
Lee
D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects; D005239:Fear; D005502:Food; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D009553:Nimodipine