Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Understanding Sleep01:11

Understanding Sleep

1.8K
Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
1.8K
Long-Term Memory01:18

Long-Term Memory

855
Long-term memory is a relatively permanent type of memory, capable of storing vast amounts of information over extended periods. Its storage capacity is generally considered unlimited.
Long-term memory can be categorized into two primary types: explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, involves the conscious recollection of information that we deliberately try to remember, recall, and articulate. This type of memory encompasses specific facts, events, and...
855
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory01:26

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

2.3K
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...
2.3K
Eyewitness Memory01:22

Eyewitness Memory

605
Eyewitness memory refers to the recollection of events by someone who has directly witnessed them, often serving as critical evidence in legal settings. This type of memory is commonly used in criminal cases where a witness describes details like a suspect's appearance, clothing, or behavior during a crime. However, despite its perceived reliability, eyewitness memory is prone to significant errors.
One such error is memory distortion, which occurs because human memory does not function...
605
Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory01:22

Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory

736
Improving short-term memory can be achieved through techniques like chunking and rehearsal. Chunking involves organizing information into larger, more manageable units. This technique is particularly useful for information that exceeds the typical memory span of between five and nine items. For instance, logging into an online account with a password like "ta89vq0179gz" involves grouping letters and numbers into three chunks—ta89, vq01, and 79gz. It makes large amounts of...
736
Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

59.5K
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
59.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Median Raphe projection into the dorsal dentate gyrus modulates anxiety behavior and coping with learning under stress.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Retrosplenial Cortical Reorganization During Late Adolescence Introduces Instability of Episodic Memory Circuits.

Research square·2025
Same author

Effects of TrkB-related induced metaplasticity within the BLA on anxiety, extinction learning, and plasticity in BLA-modulated brain regions.

Behavioral and brain functions : BBF·2025
Same author

Intra-BLA alteration of interneurons' modulation of activity in rats, reveals a dissociation between effects on anxiety symptoms and extinction learning.

Neurobiology of stress·2024
Same author

Behavioural profiling following acute stress uncovers associations with future stress sensitivity and past childhood abuse.

European journal of psychotraumatology·2024
Same author

Selective knockdown of GABAA-α2 subunit in the dorsal dentate gyrus in adulthood induces anxiety, learning and memory deficits and impairs synaptic plasticity.

The European journal of neuroscience·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
08:08

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

27.6K

Light exposure before learning improves memory consolidation at night.

Li-Li Shan1,2,3,4, Hao Guo1,3,4, Ning-Ning Song5

  • 1Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650223, China.

Scientific Reports
|October 24, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A short pulse of white light before learning significantly enhances memory consolidation in mice. This effect is mediated by light-activated p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) in the hippocampus, modulating long-term potentiation (LTP).

More Related Videos

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
08:20

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

12.7K
An Experimental Approach to Investigating Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Free-Ranging Animals: Implementation, Results, and Directions for Future Research
06:16

An Experimental Approach to Investigating Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Free-Ranging Animals: Implementation, Results, and Directions for Future Research

Published on: February 2, 2022

2.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
08:08

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

27.6K
Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
08:20

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

12.7K
An Experimental Approach to Investigating Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Free-Ranging Animals: Implementation, Results, and Directions for Future Research
06:16

An Experimental Approach to Investigating Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Free-Ranging Animals: Implementation, Results, and Directions for Future Research

Published on: February 2, 2022

2.9K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Light is a newly identified modulator of hippocampal activity and memory processing.
  • The precise molecular mechanisms underlying light's influence on memory remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which light modulates memory consolidation.
  • To determine the role of p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) in light-induced memory enhancement.

Main Methods:

  • Mice were exposed to a short pulse of white light before a learning task.
  • Hippocampal activity, specifically CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP), was measured.
  • Experiments utilized PAK1 knockout and dominant-negative transgenic mice, as well as constitutively active PAK1 expression.

Main Results:

  • Light exposure before learning significantly improved contextual fear memory consolidation in mice.
  • Light increased active p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) levels and CA1 LTP in the hippocampus.
  • These light-induced effects on memory and LTP were dependent on PAK1 activity.

Conclusions:

  • Light acts as a molecular switch to activate PAK1 in the hippocampus.
  • PAK1 activation by light modulates CA1 LTP, thereby enhancing memory consolidation.
  • Light influences memory consolidation without affecting the initial learning or short-term memory processes.