Effects of oxytocin on the fear memory reconsolidation

Oxytoxin (OT) promotes social behavior and reduces anxiety. A great number of studies suggest that OT plays a role in learning and memory processes in animals and humans. Fear memories are rendered labile and prone to modification after reactivation and a restabilization and reconsolidation process is necessary for future memory conservation. This process is crucial for modulation of an existing memory and forms a promising therapeutic target for pathological memory disorders. In this study, we investigated whether a single systemic injection of OT has effects on reconsolidation of fear memories. We found post-reactivation administration of OT impairs reconsolidation of these memories and the impairment effect is reactivation-dependent. Postreactivation short-term fear memories and the learning of new fear memory were unaffected by OT. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of OT in persistently impairing fear memory retention by blocking reconsolidation in rats. OT administration after retrieval of fear memories may open a new avenue to treat pathological memory-related disorders.