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The Journal of Neuroscience, July 29, 2009, 29(30):9644-9650; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0495-09.2009

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Consolidation of an Extinction Memory Depends on the Unconditioned Stimulus Magnitude Previously Experienced during Training

Nicola Stollhoff and Dorothea Eisenhardt

Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology/Chemistry/Pharmacy, Institute for Biology, Neurobiology, 14195 Berlin, Germany

Correspondence should be addressed to Dorothea Eisenhardt, Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology/Chemistry/Pharmacy, Institute for Biology, Neurobiology, Königin-Luise-Strasse 28/30, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Email: theodora{at}zedat.fu-berlin.de

Here, we examine the role of the magnitude of the unconditioned stimulus (US) during classical conditioning in consolidation processes after memory retrieval. We varied the US durations during training and we test the impact of these variations on consolidation after memory retrieval with one or two conditioned stimulus-only trials. We found that the consolidation of an extinction memory depends on US duration during training and ruled out the possibility that this effect is attributable to differences in satiation after conditioning. We conclude that consolidation of an extinction memory is triggered only when the duration of the US reaches a critical threshold. This demonstrates that memory consolidation cannot be regarded as an isolated process depending solely on training conditions. Instead, it depends on the animal's previous experience as well.

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Received Jan. 29, 2009; revised June 30, 2009; accepted June 30, 2009.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dorothea Eisenhardt, Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology/Chemistry/Pharmacy, Institute for Biology, Neurobiology, Königin-Luise-Strasse 28/30, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Email: theodora{at}zedat.fu-berlin.de

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