Following the fate of memory. Disentangling the prediction error in memory reconsolidation in humans using an online protocol.”

PICCO SOLEDAD; FERNÁNDEZ, RODRIGO S; M.E. PEDREIRA

Congreso; XXXVII Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias (SAN); 2022

SAN

Through the process of reconsolidation, consolidated memories can be reactivated and temporarily labialized, allowing them to be updated in strength and content. In the framework of reconsolidation, a prediction error (PE) is proposed as the key mechanism that trigger the process. Generally speaking, a prediction error is a mismatch between expected (based on prior experience) and current events. Previous reconsolidation studies show that incomplete reminders are a subtype of prediction error and are able to disrupt memories. These reminders consist in an incomplete trial that ends abruptly before participants can report the learned association. They are previously instructed to perform the same task they had been trained in.Here we design an online protocol targeting memory reactivation and the following re-stabilization stage to assess and characterize the underlying dynamics of the process of an aversive and a neutral memory in humans, focusing mainly on the PE structure. To reach such a goal, we performed a 3-day online experiment. On Day 1, subjects learned 32 face-name pairs; 24hs later, on Day 2, different groups were compared, modifying the structure of the incomplete reminder, considering the information available and the possibility of completing or not the given task. On Day 3, memory retention and item recognition was assessed. We suggest that there are several boundary conditions for the reconsolidation process to occur. In particular, concerning the structure of the prediction error that allows to trigger or not the reactivation process. This work makes a step forward in contributing to understanding the memory reconsolidation process.