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Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
Published on: June 18, 2014
Systems consolidation and the content of memory
Brian J Wiltgen1, Kazumasa Z Tanaka
1Department of Psychology and the Center for Neuroscience, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95618, United States.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
|June 18, 2013
Summary
Context fear memories can be retrieved without the hippocampus, depending on factors like neurogenesis and memory quality. Remote memories may use either the hippocampus or neocortex for retrieval.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Memory Research
Background:
- Systems consolidation is key for memory transfer from the hippocampus to the neocortex.
- Context fear conditioning in rodents is a primary model for studying memory consolidation.
- Not all context memories fully consolidate, remaining dependent on the hippocampus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review factors influencing the systems consolidation of context fear memories.
- To explain why some remote memories remain hippocampus-dependent.
- To propose a dual retrieval system for remote context fear memories.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on systems consolidation and context fear conditioning.
- Analysis of factors affecting hippocampal independence in memory retrieval.
- Examination of memory quality tests to determine retrieval systems.
Main Results:
- Neurogenesis, reminder cues, memory quality, and hippocampal inactivation methods influence consolidation.
- Remote context fear memories can be retrieved via the hippocampus or neocortex.
- Memory quality tests (e.g., discrimination) indicate the engaged retrieval system.
Conclusions:
- Remote context fear memories exhibit dual retrieval pathways (hippocampal and neocortical).
- The retrieval system for remote memories can be identified by assessing memory quality.
- Recent context fear memories consistently require the hippocampus for retrieval.
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