title: Reconsolidation of a well-learned instrumental memory.
abstract: Once consolidated, memories are dynamic entities that go through phases of instability in order to be updated with new information, via a process of reconsolidation. The phenomenon of reconsolidation has been demonstrated in a wide variety of experimental paradigms. However, the memories underpinning instrumental behaviors are currently not believed to reconsolidate. We show that well-learned lever pressing in rats does undergo reconsolidation, which can be disrupted by systemic administration of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-SH-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801) when administered prior to a switch to a variable, but not fixed, ratio schedule. Disruption of reconsolidation resulted in a reduction in long-term lever pressing performance and diminished the sensitivity of behavior to contingency change. Further investigation demonstrated that expression of the reconsolidation impairment was not affected by outcome value, implying a deficit in a stimulus-response (S-R) process. The ability to disrupt the performance of well-learned instrumental behaviors is potentially of great importance in the development of reconsolidation-based clinical treatments for conditions that involve compulsive seeking behaviors.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom m.exton-mcguinness@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Marc T J
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Exton-McGuinness
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rosemary C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lawrence B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jonathan L C
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate