Memory strengthening via multiple labilization-reconsolidation cycles: a replication study

FORCATO CECILIA; PARDILLA-DELGADO ENMANUELLE; PAYNE JESSICA

San Francisco

Congreso; Cognitive Neuroscience Society 2017 Annual Meeting; 2017

CNS

Memory consolidation was once thought to stabilize memories; that is, a memory was immune to alterations after the consolidation process had culminated. Currently this view has changed, as reactivating a memory can make it labile once again, which in turn makes it susceptible to modification by amnesic and enhancing agents. The process that occurs after this reactivation-dependent labilization is called ?reconsolidation?, and it is thought that when several labilization-reconsolidation processes are induced, a memory is strengthened. The current study aimed to replicate an effect first reported in human declarative memory by Forcato and colleagues (2011), and to extend it to English-speaking subjects. On day 1, participants learned pairs of nonsense syllables. On day 2, through an ?interrupted memory test?, memory was reactivated once (group 1), twice (group 2), or not at all (group 0). Memory, tested on day 3, was marginally different between the groups (F (3,61)=2.6, p=.06). Specifically, memory persisted more for group 2 than for group 0 (p=.09), which supports the idea that multiple reactivations strengthen a labile memory. Follow-up studies will probe this strengthening effect against the detrimental mnemonic effects of stress during retrieval.