Coherent amygdalocortical theta promotes fear memory consolidation during paradoxical sleep
Open accessAbstract
Brain activity in sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, an offline process that determines the long-term strength of memory traces. Consolidation efficacy differs across individuals, but the brain activity dynamics underlying these differences remain unknown. Here, we studied how interindividual variability in fear memory consolidation relates to neural activity in brain structures that participate in Pavlovian fear learning. From the end of training to testing 24 h later, some rats showed increased and others decreased conditioned fear responses. We found that overnight bidirectional changes in fear memory were selectively correlated with modifications in theta coherence between the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus during paradoxical sleep. Thus, our results suggest that theta coordination in the limbic system may influence interindividual differences in memory consolidation of aversive experiences.
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Theta coherence between the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in REM sleep has been correlated with overnight bidirectional changes in fear memory in rats.
“theta coherence between the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in REM sleep has been correlated with overnight bidirectional changes in fear memory in rats (Popa et al., 2010)”
From Incorporation of recent waking-life experiences in dreams correlates with frontal theta activity in REM sleep (2018) · cites this paper as Popa et al., 2010
Interindividual variability in fear learning across sleep was related to bidirectional changes in theta coherence between the amygdala, medial frontal cortex, and the hippocampus during REM sleep.
“Interindividual variability in fear learning across sleep was related to bidirectional changes in theta coherence between the amygdala, medial frontal cortex, and the hippocampus during REM sleep (941).”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [941]
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- Authors
- Popa, D., Duvarci, S., Popescu, A. T., Léna, C., & Paré, D.
- Affiliations
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Popa, Daniela
- Duvarci, Sevil
- Paré, Denis
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2010-03-23
- Volume
- 107
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 6516-6519
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC2851973
- OpenAlex
- W2169055490
- Cited by
- 338
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 11.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH073610, R01MH083710)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Keywords
- fear memory consolidation, REM sleep, theta coherence, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, interindividual variability, fear conditioning, limbic system, sleep-dependent memory
- MeSH terms
- Amygdala, Animals, Fear, Learning, Male, Memory, Sleep, REM, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Rats
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