The effect of an aversive emotional context on the fate of a neutral declarative memory in humans.

FERNÁNDEZ RODRIGO S; FORCATO CECILIA; PEDREIRA MARIA EUGENIA

Cordoba

Congreso; XXVIII Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias; 2013

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

Aversive emotional events could enhance consolidation of other learning situations occurring in the same spatial context and close temporal relationship. Our Laboratory has demonstrated the reconsolidation process of a neutral declarative memory (NDM) in humans. Little is known about the influence of aversive emotional context in the acquisition and fate of such memory type. To reach such goal we developed a new adaptation of the Trier Social Stress Test protocol using a virtual auditory communication (TSSTv). The original test is a widely used protocol to induce high social stress levels in humans. It consist in two phases of five minutes each, a) An oral exposition and b) An arithmetic task, during which a supposed group of experts observed and provided no feedback at all. Here, subjects that performed the task were told that they had to talk via the internet with a group of experts. A pitch modifier was used to allow the experimenter (who was in the next room) to have three different voices. Several physiological and psychological measures were used to assess the emotional arousal. A fake TSST (TSSTf), were the subjects completed the same task in a paper but without social interaction, was used to compare the effects. We found that the TSSTv compared to the TSSTf increases the salivary cortisol levels, electrodermal activity, heart rate, blood pressure and general anxiety state. Finally we explore the effects of the TSSTv in the acquisition and consolidation of the NDM.