Consolidating memories
- PMID: 25559113
- DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-014954
Consolidating memories
Abstract
Our own experiences, as well as the findings of many studies, suggest that emotionally arousing experiences can create lasting memories. This autobiographical article provides a brief summary of the author's research investigating neurobiological systems responsible for the influence of emotional arousal on the consolidation of lasting memories. The research began with the finding that stimulant drugs enhanced memory in rats when administered shortly after training. Those findings suggested the possibility that endogenous systems activated by arousal might influence neural processes underlying memory consolidation. Subsequent findings that adrenal stress hormones activated by learning experiences enhance memory consolidation provided strong evidence supporting this hypothesis. Other findings suggest that the enhancement is induced by stress hormone activation of the amygdala. The findings also suggest that the basolateral amygdala modulates memory consolidation via its projections to brain regions involved in processing different aspects and forms of memory. This emotional-arousal-activated neurobiological system thus seems to play an important adaptive role in insuring that the strength of our memories will reflect their emotional significance.
Keywords: Autobiography; amygdala; arousal; corticosterone; epinephrine; norepinephrine; stress.
Similar articles
-
Making lasting memories: remembering the significant.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jun 18;110 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):10402-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1301209110. Epub 2013 Jun 10. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013. PMID: 23754441 Free PMC article.
-
Adrenal Stress Hormones and Enhanced Memory for Emotionally Arousing Experiences.In: Bermúdez-Rattoni F, editor. Neural Plasticity and Memory: From Genes to Brain Imaging. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2007. Chapter 13. In: Bermúdez-Rattoni F, editor. Neural Plasticity and Memory: From Genes to Brain Imaging. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2007. Chapter 13. PMID: 21204426 Free Books & Documents. Review.
-
Adrenal stress hormones, amygdala activation, and memory for emotionally arousing experiences.Prog Brain Res. 2008;167:79-97. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(07)67006-X. Prog Brain Res. 2008. PMID: 18037008 Review.
-
Glucocorticoid enhancement of memory requires arousal-induced noradrenergic activation in the basolateral amygdala.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Apr 25;103(17):6741-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0601874103. Epub 2006 Apr 12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006. PMID: 16611726 Free PMC article.
-
The amygdala modulates the consolidation of memories of emotionally arousing experiences.Annu Rev Neurosci. 2004;27:1-28. doi: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144157. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2004. PMID: 15217324 Review.
Cited by
-
Norepinephrine-Astrocyte Signaling Regulates Cortical State Homeostasis.Neurosci Bull. 2024 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s12264-024-01213-2. Online ahead of print. Neurosci Bull. 2024. PMID: 38739250 No abstract available.
-
Aha! and D'oh! experiences enhance learning for incidental information-new evidence supports the insight memory advantage.Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2024 Jun;24(3):505-516. doi: 10.3758/s13415-024-01184-x. Epub 2024 Mar 27. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2024. PMID: 38538933
-
States of epistemic curiosity interfere with memory for incidental scholastic facts.NPJ Sci Learn. 2024 Mar 18;9(1):22. doi: 10.1038/s41539-024-00234-w. NPJ Sci Learn. 2024. PMID: 38499583 Free PMC article.
-
Awake ripples enhance emotional memory encoding in the human brain.Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 3;15(1):215. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44295-8. Nat Commun. 2024. PMID: 38172140 Free PMC article.
-
Hippocampal Mechanisms Support Cortisol-Induced Memory Enhancements.J Neurosci. 2023 Oct 25;43(43):7198-7212. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0916-23.2023. Epub 2023 Oct 9. J Neurosci. 2023. PMID: 37813570 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Personal name as subject
- Actions
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical