Reactivation of recall-induced neurons contributes to remote fear memory attenuation
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Whether fear attenuation is mediated by inhibition of the original memory trace of fear with a new memory trace of safety or by updating of the original fear trace toward safety has been a long-standing question in neuroscience and psychology alike. In particular, which of the two scenarios underlies the attenuation of remote (month-old) fear memories is completely unknown, despite the impetus to better understand this process against the backdrop of enduring traumata. We found-chemogenetically and in an engram-specific manner-that effective remote fear attenuation is accompanied by the reactivation of memory recall-induced neurons in the dentate gyrus and that the continued activity of these neurons is critical for fear reduction. This suggests that the original memory trace of fear actively contributes to remote fear attenuation.
Source: Science
Authors: Ossama Khalaf, Siegfried Resch, Lucie Dixsaut, Victoire Gorden, Liliane Glauser, Johannes Gräff
Institution: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Language: English
Topic: Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2808675327