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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
14:27
Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording
Published on: August 11, 2019
Hippocampal-cortical coupling dynamics drive system consolidation of remote memory
Tao Sheng1, Shaoli Wang1, Jiaxi Zhang1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disorders, Minister of Education (MOE) Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Cell Reports
|August 7, 2026
Summary
Memory consolidation transforms temporary hippocampal memories into long-term cortical storage. A hippocampus-prefrontal cortex coupling phase shift drives this transformation, revealing the neural basis of remote memory formation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- System consolidation is crucial for transforming temporary memories into long-term storage.
- The precise neural mechanisms underlying this hippocampus-to-cortex memory transfer remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of neural activity and coupling between the hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) during fear memory formation and consolidation.
- To elucidate the causal role of interregional neural communication in the transformation of recent memories to remote ones.
Main Methods:
- Tracking local field potentials and single-neuron spikes in behaving animals during fear learning and sleep.
- Analyzing phase-amplitude coupling between HPC gamma oscillations and PFC theta oscillations.
- Utilizing closed-loop optogenetic perturbations to test causal relationships.
Main Results:
- A progressive phase shift was observed between HPC gamma and PFC theta oscillations during learning.
- A similar phase-shifted coupling pattern reappeared during sleep-dependent consolidation, linked to sharp-wave ripples and PFC spindles.
- Interregional interactions shifted from HPC-driven gamma coherence to PFC-mediated low-frequency coherence over time.
- Optogenetic manipulation confirmed a stepwise causal role for these coupling events in remote memory formation.
Conclusions:
- The phase shift in hippocampus-prefrontal cortex coupling serves as a neural substrate for the transformation of recent memories into remote ones.
- This study provides a mechanistic explanation for how memories are consolidated and stored long-term in the cortex.
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