1 research outputs found
Medial prefrontal cortex dopamine controls the persistent storage of aversive memories
Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is essential for initial memory processing and
expression but its involvement in persistent memory storage has seldom been
studied. Using the hippocampus dependent inhibitory avoidance learning task and the
hippocampus-independent conditioned taste aversion paradigm together with specific
dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists we found that persistence but not formation
of long-term aversive memories requires dopamine D1/D5 receptors activation in mPFC
immediately after training and, depending on the task, between 6 and 12 h later.
Our results indicate that besides its well-known participation in retrieval and early
consolidation, mPFC also modulates the endurance of long-lasting aversive memories
regardless of whether formation of the aversive mnemonic trace requires the participation
of the hippocampus