On the transition from reconsolidation to extinction of contextual fear memories
Open accessAbstract
Retrieval of an associative memory can lead to different phenomena. Brief reexposure sessions tend to trigger reconsolidation, whereas more extended ones trigger extinction. In appetitive and fear cued Pavlovian memories, an intermediate “null point” period has been observed where neither process seems to be engaged. Here we investigated whether this phenomenon extends to contextual fear memory. Adult rats were subjected to a contextual fear conditioning paradigm, reexposed to the context 2 d later for 3, 5, 10, 20, or 30 min, with immediate injections of MK-801 or saline following reexposure, and tested on the following day. We observed a significant effect of MK-801 with the 3- and 30-min sessions, impairing reconsolidation and extinction, respectively. However, it did not have significant effects with 5-, 10-, or 20-min sessions, even though freezing decreased from reexposure to test. Further analyses indicated that this is not likely to be due to a variable transition point at the population level. In conclusion, the results show that in contextual fear memories there is a genuine “null point” between the parameters that induce reconsolidation and extinction, as defined by the effects of MK-801, although NMDA receptor-independent decreases in freezing can still occur in these conditions.
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Reconsolidation and extinction are separated by a 'limbo' period during which neither process is engaged.
“the two processes are separated by a “limbo” period during which neither process is engaged (Merlo et al., 2014, 2018; Cassini et al., 2017).”
From Retrieval-Dependent Mechanisms Affecting Emotional Memory Persistence: Reconsolidation, Extinction, and the Space in Between (2020) · cites this paper as Cassini et al., 2017
The Discussion (page not specified) reports a genuine null point between conditions that induce reconsolidation and extinction. But it establishes that MK-801 impairs neither process at that point, not that neither process is engaged; it also notes that freezing can decline through a possible NMDA receptor-independent form of extinction. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSimilar results were observed for pavlovian conditioned approach and contextual fear memories in rats, and fear memories in humans and crabs.
“Similar results were observed for the pavlovian conditioned approach (Flavell and Lee, 2013) and contextual fear memories in rats (Cassini et al., 2017; Franzen et al., 2019), and fear memories in humans and crabs (Sevenster et al., 2014; Merlo et al., 2019)”
From Retrieval-Dependent Mechanisms Affecting Emotional Memory Persistence: Reconsolidation, Extinction, and the Space in Between (2020) · cites this paper as Cassini et al., 2017
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Self-citationIdentification of a Novel Retrieval-Dependent Memory Process in the Crab <i>Neohelice granulata</i>
Merlo, S. A., Santos, M. J., Pedreira, M. E., & Merlo, E. (2019) · doi:10.1101/2019.12.19.881128
- Authors
- Cassini, L. F., Flavell, C. R., Amaral, O. B., & Lee, J. L. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Venue
- Learning & Memory
- Publisher
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Published
- 2017-08-16
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 392-399
- ISSN
- 1072-0502 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-5485
- PMC
- PMC5580521
- OpenAlex
- W2746305777
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 10
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Learning & Memory (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Institutional Research Archive (University of Birmingham) (acceptedVersion)
- Aston Publications Explorer (Aston University) (submittedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/J014982/1)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- contextual fear memory, memory reconsolidation, fear extinction, MK-801, NMDA receptor antagonism, freezing behavior, associative memory retrieval, rats
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Animals, Conditioning, Psychological, Extinction, Psychological, Fear, Male, Memory, Dizocilpine Maleate, Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists, Maze Learning, Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic, Rats
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