The dynamic nature of the reconsolidation process and its boundary conditions.

RODRIGO FERNANDEZ; LUZ BAVASSI; CECILIA FORCATO; M.E. PEDREIRA

Mar del Plata

Congreso; XXX Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencia (SAN).; 2015

The reconsolidation process is the mechanism by which consolidated memories are updated in strength or content. Memory age and strength are boundary conditions for reconsolidation process. We investigated the dynamics of such conditions, anticipating that the boundary conditions of the reconsolidation process are subject to change rather than immovable.Aversive emotional events such as stress affect different memory process in several ways. Here we showed in Experiment 1 and 2, that stress prior the acquisition of a neutral declarative, improves acquisition and enhance consolidation. In Experiment 3, a strong memory initially acquired under stress pass through the reconsolidation process and could be interfered by new learning after the presentation of a reminder. In Experiment 4 and 5, we revealed that seven days after training the reconsolidation of a strong-old memory could be interfered by new learning after a reminder presentationand that two successive presentation of the reminder strengths memory.As a whole, the results suggest that the fate of a neutral declarative memory acquired after a social threat result in a strong memory, and under this condition the reconsolidation process per se and the strengthening function is active on older memories.Boundary conditions vary rather than being permanent, showing the dynamic nature of the reconsolidation process.