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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
10:37
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Memory Enhancement
Published on: September 18, 2021
Memory is not extinguished along with CS presentation but within a few seconds after CS-offset.
Luis María Pérez-Cuesta1, Yanil Hepp, María Eugenia Pedreira
1Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Memoria, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Argentina.
Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)
|February 3, 2007
Summary
Extinction memory acquisition in crabs is triggered by the conditioned stimulus (CS) offset, not onset. This memory is acquired within 45 seconds and requires NMDA-like receptor activity for acquisition and protein synthesis for consolidation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Memory Research
Background:
- Prior research indicated that extinction or reconsolidation of conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus (CS-US) memory in crabs depends on the duration of unreinforced CS presentation.
- Both processes are initiated only upon termination of the CS, raising questions about extinction memory acquisition timing and mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the precise timing and acquisition window of extinction memory.
- To determine the pharmacological requirements for the acquisition and consolidation of extinction memory.
- To explore the role of protein synthesis and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-like receptors in extinction memory.
Main Methods:
- Systematic study of extinction with varying durations of unreinforced CS presentations.
- Experiments to define the temporal boundaries for extinction memory acquisition.
- Pharmacological assays to test the necessity of protein synthesis and NMDA-like receptor activity.
Main Results:
- Extinction memory acquisition is triggered by the conditioned stimulus (CS) offset, not its onset, and is completed within 45 seconds.
- Protein synthesis is essential for the consolidation of extinction memory but not its acquisition.
- NMDA-like receptor activity is crucial for the acquisition of extinction memory but not its consolidation.
Conclusions:
- Extinction memory acquisition is a rapid process initiated by CS termination.
- Distinct molecular mechanisms underlie the acquisition (NMDA-like receptors) and consolidation (protein synthesis) of extinction memory.
- These findings provide insights into memory reconsolidation and extinction processes, potentially applicable to multitrial extinction paradigms.
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