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Vincent CJ, Aguilar-Alvarez R, Vanderhoof SO, Mott DD, Jasnow AM. An amygdala-cortical circuit for encoding generalized fear memories. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.01.15.633190. [PMID: 39868237 PMCID: PMC11761744 DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.15.633190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2025]
Abstract
Generalized learning is a fundamental process observed across species, contexts, and sensory modalities that enables animals to use past experiences to adapt to changing conditions. Evidence suggests that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) extracts general features of an experience that can be used across multiple situations. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a region of the PFC, is implicated in generalized fear responses to novel contexts. However, the ACC's role in encoding contextual information is poorly understood, especially under increased threat intensity that promotes generalization. Here, we show that synaptic plasticity within the ACC and signaling from amygdala inputs during fear learning are necessary for generalized fear responses to novel encountered contexts. The ACC did not encode specific fear to the training context, suggesting this region extracts general features of a threatening experience rather than specific contextual information. Together with our previous work, our results demonstrate that generalized learning about threatening contexts is encoded, in part, within an ascending amygdala-cortical circuit, whereas descending ACC projections to the amygdala drive generalized fear responses during exposure to novel contexts. Our results further demonstrate that schematic learning can occur in the PFC after single-trial learning, a process typically attributed to learning over many repeated learning episodes.
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Haubrich J, Nader K. Network-level changes in the brain underlie fear memory strength. eLife 2023; 12:RP88172. [PMID: 38047914 PMCID: PMC10695559 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The strength of a fear memory significantly influences whether it drives adaptive or maladaptive behavior in the future. Yet, how mild and strong fear memories differ in underlying biology is not well understood. We hypothesized that this distinction may not be exclusively the result of changes within specific brain regions, but rather the outcome of collective changes in connectivity across multiple regions within the neural network. To test this, rats were fear conditioned in protocols of varying intensities to generate mild or strong memories. Neuronal activation driven by recall was measured using c-fos immunohistochemistry in 12 brain regions implicated in fear learning and memory. The interregional coordinated brain activity was computed and graph-based functional networks were generated to compare how mild and strong fear memories differ at the systems level. Our results show that mild fear recall is supported by a well-connected brain network with small-world properties in which the amygdala is well-positioned to be modulated by other regions. In contrast, this connectivity is disrupted in strong fear memories and the amygdala is isolated from other regions. These findings indicate that the neural systems underlying mild and strong fear memories differ, with implications for understanding and treating disorders of fear dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue Haubrich
- Department of Psychology, McGill UniversityMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr-University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Karim Nader
- Department of Psychology, McGill UniversityMontréalCanada
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Keidar T, Williams-Spooner MJ, Wong FS, Westbrook RF, Holmes NM. NMDA Receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala Complex Are Engaged for Pavlovian Fear Conditioning When an Animal's Predictions about Danger Are in Error. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6679-6696. [PMID: 37607821 PMCID: PMC10538583 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0067-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that Pavlovian fear conditioning requires activation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA). However, it was recently shown that activation of NMDAR in the BLA is only required for fear conditioning when danger occurs unexpectedly; it is not required for fear conditioning when danger occurs as expected. This study tested the hypothesis that NMDARs in the BLA are engaged for Pavlovian fear conditioning when an animal's predictions regarding danger are in error. In each experiment, rats (females in Experiment 1 and males in Experiments 2-5) were conditioned to fear one stimulus, S1, when it was paired with foot-shock (S1→shock), and 48 h later, a second stimulus, S2, when it was presented in sequence with the already-conditioned S1 and foot-shock (S2→S1→shock). Conditioning to S2 occurred under a BLA infusion of the NMDAR antagonist, D-AP5 or vehicle. The subsequent tests of freezing to S2 alone and S1 alone revealed that the antagonist had no effect on conditioning to S2 when the shock occurred exactly as predicted by the S1, but disrupted this conditioning when the shock occurred earlier/later than predicted by S1, or at a stronger/weaker intensity. These results imply that errors in the timing or intensity of a predicted foot-shock engage NMDARs in the BLA for Pavlovian fear conditioning. They are discussed in relation to theories which propose a role for prediction error in determining how experiences are organized in memory and how activation of NMDAR in the BLA might contribute to this organization.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study is significant in showing that prediction error determines how a new experience is encoded with respect to a past experience and, thereby, whether NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) encode the new experience. When prediction error is small (e.g., danger occurs as and when expected), the new experience is encoded together with a past experience as part of the same "mental model," and NMDAR activation in the BLA is not needed for this encoding. By contrast, when prediction error is large (e.g., danger occurs at an unexpected intensity or time), the new experience is encoded separately from the past experience as part of a new mental model, and NMDAR activation in the BLA is needed for this encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuval Keidar
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew J Williams-Spooner
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Francesca S Wong
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - R Frederick Westbrook
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Nathan M Holmes
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Gros A, Wang SH. Cognitive rescue in aging through prior training in rats. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:5990-6010. [PMID: 37338529 PMCID: PMC10373978 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive decline in spatial memory is seen in aging. Understanding affected processes in aging is vital for developing methods to improve wellbeing. Daily memory persistence can be influenced by events around the time of learning or by prior experiences in early life. Fading memories in young can last longer if a novel event is introduced around encoding, a process called behavioral tagging. Based on this principle, we asked what processes are affected in aging and if prior training can rescue them. Two groups of aged rats received training in an appetitive delayed matching-to-place task. One of the groups additionally received prior training of the same task in young and in mid-life, constituting a longitudinal study. The results showed long-term memory decline in late aging without prior training. This would reflect affected encoding and consolidation. On the other hand, short-term memory was preserved and novelty at memory reactivation and reconsolidation enabled memory maintenance in aging. Prior training improved cognition through facilitating task performance, strengthening short-term memory and intermediate memory, and enabling encoding-boosted long-term memory. Implication of these findings in understanding brain mechanisms in cognitive aging and in beneficial effects of prior training is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gros
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Chancellor’s Building, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Szu-Han Wang
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Chancellor’s Building, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
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Williams E, Mutlu-Smith M, Alex A, Chin XW, Spires-Jones T, Wang SH. Mid-Adulthood Cognitive Training Improves Performance in a Spatial Task but Does Not Ameliorate Hippocampal Pathology in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 93:683-704. [PMID: 37066912 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior experience in early life has been shown to improve performance in aging and mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. However, whether cognitive training at a later life stage would benefit subsequent cognition and reduce pathology in AD mice needs to be better understood. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to verify if behavioral training in mid-adulthood would improve subsequent cognition and reduce AD pathology and astrogliosis. METHODS Mixed-sex APP/PS1 and wildtype littermate mice received a battery of behavioral training, composed of spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze, novel object recognition and location tasks, and spatial training in the water maze, or handling only at 7 months of age. The impact of AD genotype and prior training on subsequent learning and memory of aforementioned tasks were assessed at 9 months. RESULTS APP/PS1 mice made more errors than wildtype littermates in the radial-arm water maze (RAWM) task. Prior training prevented this impairment in APP/PS1 mice. Prior training also contributed to better efficiency in finding the escape platform in both APP/PS1 mice and wildtype littermates. Short-term and long-term memory of this RAWM task, of a reversal task, and of a transfer task were comparable among APP/PS1 and wildtype mice, with or without prior training. Amyloid pathology and astrogliosis in the hippocampus were also comparable between the APP/PS1 groups. CONCLUSION These data suggest that cognitive training in mid-adulthood improves subsequent accuracy in AD mice and efficiency in all mice in the spatial task. Cognitive training in mid-adulthood provides no clear benefit on memory or on amyloid pathology in midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Williams
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Menekşe Mutlu-Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ashli Alex
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xi Wei Chin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Szu-Han Wang
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Xie X, Gong S, Sun N, Zhu J, Xu X, Xu Y, Li X, Du Z, Liu X, Zhang J, Gong W, Si K. Contextual Fear Learning and Extinction in the Primary Visual Cortex of Mice. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:29-40. [PMID: 35704211 PMCID: PMC9849540 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00889-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear memory contextualization is critical for selecting adaptive behavior to survive. Contextual fear conditioning (CFC) is a classical model for elucidating related underlying neuronal circuits. The primary visual cortex (V1) is the primary cortical region for contextual visual inputs, but its role in CFC is poorly understood. Here, our experiments demonstrated that bilateral inactivation of V1 in mice impaired CFC retrieval, and both CFC learning and extinction increased the turnover rate of axonal boutons in V1. The frequency of neuronal Ca2+ activity decreased after CFC learning, while CFC extinction reversed the decrease and raised it to the naïve level. Contrary to control mice, the frequency of neuronal Ca2+ activity increased after CFC learning in microglia-depleted mice and was maintained after CFC extinction, indicating that microglial depletion alters CFC learning and the frequency response pattern of extinction-induced Ca2+ activity. These findings reveal a critical role of microglia in neocortical information processing in V1, and suggest potential approaches for cellular-based manipulation of acquired fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoke Xie
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310012, China
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
- Intelligent Optics & Photonics Research Center, Jiaxing Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing, 314001, China
| | - Shangyue Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Ning Sun
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Jiazhu Zhu
- Intelligent Optics & Photonics Research Center, Jiaxing Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing, 314001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Xiaobin Xu
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Yongxian Xu
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Zhenhong Du
- Intelligent Optics & Photonics Research Center, Jiaxing Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing, 314001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Xuanting Liu
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Jianmin Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Wei Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
| | - Ke Si
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
- Intelligent Optics & Photonics Research Center, Jiaxing Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing, 314001, China.
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
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Moscovitch M, Gilboa A. Has the concept of systems consolidation outlived its usefulness? Identification and evaluation of premises underlying systems consolidation. Fac Rev 2022; 11:33. [PMID: 36532709 PMCID: PMC9720899 DOI: 10.12703/r/11-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Systems consolidation has mostly been treated as a neural construct defined by the time-dependent change in memory representation from the hippocampus (HPC) to other structures, primarily the neocortex. Here, we identify and evaluate the explicit and implicit premises that underlie traditional or standard models and theories of systems consolidation based on evidence from research on humans and other animals. We use the principle that changes in neural representation over time and experience are accompanied by corresponding changes in psychological representations, and vice versa, to argue that each of the premises underlying traditional or standard models and theories of systems consolidation is found wanting. One solution is to modify or abandon the premises or theories and models. This is reflected in moderated models of systems consolidation that emphasize the early role of the HPC in training neocortical memories until they stabilize. The fault, however, may lie in the very concept of systems consolidation and its defining feature. We propose that the concept be replaced by one of memory systems reorganization, which does not carry the theoretical baggage of systems consolidation and is flexible enough to capture the dynamic nature of memory from inception to very long-term retention and retrieval at a psychological and neural level. The term "memory system reorganization" implies that memory traces are not fixed, even after they are presumably consolidated. Memories can continue to change as a result of experience and interactions among memory systems across the lifetime. As will become clear, hippocampal training of neocortical memories is only one type of such interaction, and not always the most important one, even at inception. We end by suggesting some principles of memory reorganization that can help guide research on dynamic memory processes that capture corresponding changes in memory at the psychological and neural levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morris Moscovitch
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Asaf Gilboa
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Prior fear learning enables the rapid assimilation of new fear memories directly into cortical networks. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001789. [PMID: 36178983 PMCID: PMC9555644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term memory formation involves the reorganization of brain circuits, termed system consolidation. Whether and how a prior fear experience influences system consolidation of new memories is poorly understood. In rats, we found that prior auditory fear learning allows the secondary auditory cortex to immediately encode new auditory memories, with these new memories purely requiring the activation of cellular mechanisms of synaptic consolidation within secondary auditory cortex. Similar results were obtained in the anterior cingulate cortex for contextual fear memories. Moreover, prior learning enabled connections from these cortices to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to support recent memory retention. We propose that the reorganization of circuits that characterizes system consolidation occurs only in the first instance that an event is learned, subsequently allowing the immediate assimilation of new analogous events in final storage sites.
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Williams-Spooner MJ, Delaney AJ, Westbrook RF, Holmes NM. Prediction Error Determines Whether NMDA Receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala Complex Are Involved in Pavlovian Fear Conditioning. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4360-4379. [PMID: 35410880 PMCID: PMC9145214 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2156-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that activation of NMDA receptors (NMDAR) is necessary for the formation of fear memories in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA). This acceptance is based on findings that blockade of NMDAR in the BLA disrupts Pavlovian fear conditioning in rodents when initially innocuous stimuli are paired with aversive and unexpected events (surprising foot shock). The present study challenges this acceptance by showing that the involvement of NMDAR in Pavlovian fear conditioning is determined by prediction errors in relation to aversive events. In the initial experiments, male rats received a BLA infusion of the NMDAR antagonist, D-AP5 and were then exposed to pairings of a novel target stimulus and foot shock. This infusion disrupted acquisition of fear to the target when the shock was surprising (experiments 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b) but spared fear to the target when the shock was expected based on the context, time and other stimuli that were present (experiments 1a and 1b). Under the latter circumstances, fear to the target required activation of calcium-permeable AMPAR (CP-AMPA; experiments 4a, 4b, and 4c), which, using electrophysiology, were shown to regulate the activity of interneurons in the BLA (experiment 5). Thus, NMDAR activation is not required for fear conditioning when danger occurs as expected given the context, time and stimuli present, but is required for fear conditioning when danger occurs unexpectedly. These findings are related to current theories of NMDAR function and ways that prediction errors might influence the substrates of fear memory formation in the BLA.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is widely accepted that NMDA receptors (NMDAR) in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) are activated by pairings of a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an aversive unconditioned (US) stimulus, leading to the synaptic changes that underlie formation of a CS-US association. The present findings are significant in showing that this theory is incomplete. When the aversive US is unexpected, animals encode all features of the situation (context, time and stimuli present) as a new fear/threat memory, which is regulated by NMDAR in the BLA. However, when the US is expected based on the context, time and stimuli present, the new fear memory is assimilated into networks that represent those features, which occurs independently of NMDAR activation in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Williams-Spooner
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2052
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1M8
| | - Andrew J Delaney
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales, Australia 2795
| | - R Frederick Westbrook
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2052
| | - Nathan M Holmes
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2052
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10
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de Sousa AF, Chowdhury A, Silva AJ. Dimensions and mechanisms of memory organization. Neuron 2021; 109:2649-2662. [PMID: 34242564 PMCID: PMC8416710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Memory formation is dynamic in nature, and acquisition of new information is often influenced by previous experiences. Memories sharing certain attributes are known to interact so that retrieval of one increases the likelihood of retrieving the other, raising the possibility that related memories are organized into associative mnemonic structures of interconnected representations. Although the formation and retrieval of single memories have been studied extensively, very little is known about the brain mechanisms that organize and link related memories. Here we review studies that suggest the existence of mnemonic structures in humans and animal models. These studies suggest three main dimensions of experience that can serve to organize related memories: time, space, and perceptual/conceptual similarities. We propose potential molecular, cellular, and systems mechanisms that might support organization of memories according to these dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- André F de Sousa
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ananya Chowdhury
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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11
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Gilboa A, Moscovitch M. No consolidation without representation: Correspondence between neural and psychological representations in recent and remote memory. Neuron 2021; 109:2239-2255. [PMID: 34015252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Memory systems consolidation is often conceived as the linear, time-dependent, neurobiological shift of memory from hippocampal-cortical to cortico-cortical dependency. We argue that contrary to this unidirectional view of memory reorganization, information about events may be retained in multiple forms (e.g., event-specific sensory-near episodic memory, event-specific gist information, event-general schematic information, or abstract semantic memory). These representations can all form at the time of the event and may continue to coexist for long durations. Their relative strength, composition, and dominance of expression change with time and experience, with task demands, and through their dynamic interaction with one another. These different psychological mnemonic representations depend on distinct functional and structural neurobiological substrates such that there is a neural-psychological representation correspondence (NPRC) among them. We discuss how the dynamics of psychological memory representations are reflected in multiple levels of neurobiological markers and their interactions. By this view, there are only variations of synaptic consolidation and memory dynamics without assuming a distinct systems consolidation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asaf Gilboa
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada.
| | - Morris Moscovitch
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M6A 2E1, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada.
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12
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Guo H, Yuan K, Zhang Z, Xue Y, Yan W, Meng S, Zhu W, Wu P, Bao Y, Shi J, Zhang W, Lu L, Han Y. Pi4KIIα Regulates Unconditioned Stimulus-Retrieval-Induced Fear Memory Reconsolidation through Endosomal Trafficking of AMPA Receptors. iScience 2020; 23:100895. [PMID: 32088394 PMCID: PMC7038502 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting memory reconsolidation is an effective intervention for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Disrupting unconditioned stimulus (US)-retrieval-induced fear memory reconsolidation has become an effective therapeutic approach to attenuate fear memory, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we report that US-retrieval-dependent increase in phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIα (Pi4KIIα) promotes early endosomal trafficking of AMPA receptors, leading to the enhancement of synaptic efficacy in basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons. The inhibition of Pi4KIIα by an inhibitor or short hairpin RNA impaired contextual fear memory reconsolidation. This disruptive effect persisted for at least 2 weeks, which was restored by Pi4KIIα overexpression with TAT-Pi4KIIα. Furthermore, the blockade of early endosomal trafficking following US retrieval reduced synaptosomal membrane GluA1 levels and decreased subsequent fear expression. These data demonstrate that Pi4KIIα in the BLA is crucial for US-retrieval-induced fear memory reconsolidation, the inhibition of which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating PTSD. Unconditioned stimulus (US) retrieval induces a transient increase in Pi4KIIα expression Pi4KIIα regulates early endosomal trafficking of AMPARs during memory reconsolidation Pi4KIIα contributes to US-retrieval-induced synaptic enhancement in rat BLA Pi4KIIα inhibition after US retrieval impairs fear expression and shows long-term effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongling Guo
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Bei Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Kai Yuan
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Bei Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhongyu Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yanxue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Bei Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Shiqiu Meng
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Weili Zhu
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ping Wu
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yanping Bao
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jie Shi
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Lin Lu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Bei Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Ying Han
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
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13
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Haaker J, Maren S, Andreatta M, Merz CJ, Richter J, Richter SH, Meir Drexler S, Lange MD, Jüngling K, Nees F, Seidenbecher T, Fullana MA, Wotjak CT, Lonsdorf TB. Making translation work: Harmonizing cross-species methodology in the behavioural neuroscience of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:329-345. [PMID: 31521698 PMCID: PMC7822629 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Translational neuroscience bridges insights from specific mechanisms in rodents to complex functions in humans and is key to advance our general understanding of central nervous function. A prime example of translational research is the study of cross-species mechanisms that underlie responding to learned threats, by employing Pavlovian fear conditioning protocols in rodents and humans. Hitherto, evidence for (and critique of) these cross-species comparisons in fear conditioning research was based on theoretical viewpoints. Here, we provide a perspective to substantiate these theoretical concepts with empirical considerations of cross-species methodology. This meta-research perspective is expected to foster cross-species comparability and reproducibility to ultimately facilitate successful transfer of results from basic science into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Haaker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Marta Andreatta
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christian J Merz
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Germany
| | - Jan Richter
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Shira Meir Drexler
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Germany
| | - Maren D Lange
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Kay Jüngling
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Miquel A Fullana
- Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Neuronal Plasticity Research Group, Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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14
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Cognitive Neuroscience: Exciting Developments in Schematic Learning. Curr Biol 2018; 28:R1096-R1098. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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