Interference conditions of the reconsolidation process in humans: interaction between memory systems and valance

BAVASSI L; FERNANDEZ R; PEDREIRA ME; FORCATO C

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 2do Congreso FALAN; 2016

Memory storage implies a passage from a fragile state to a stable form, a process called memory consolidation. However, following the presentation of a reminder, consolidated memories become reactivated followed by a process of re-stabilization, which is referred to as reconsolidation. The most common behavioral tool used to reveal this process is interference produced by new learning after memory reactivation. Memory interference is defined as a decrease in memory retrieval as a product of new learning. The effect is generated when new information impairs an acquired memory. In the absence of new learning memory remains intact. By general the target memory and the interference task used are the same. Here we investigated how different memory systems and their valance interacts to produce memory reconsolidation interference. In Experiments 1-2 we showed that the reconsolidation of a neutral declarative memory (NDM) is unaffected by the acquisition of an aversive implicit memory (AIM) and conversely, this memory remains intact when the NDM is used as interference. Then, in Experiment 3, we revealed that a NDM could be interfered by the presentation of a reminder and new learning of a different NDM. Finally, in Experiment 4, we showed that the AIM, could be interfered by the presentation of a reminder followed by stress induction. These results suggests that the interference of memory reconsolidation is effective when the tasks used share at least it system and valence.