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Over-expectation generated in a complex appetitive goal-tracking task is capable of inducing memory reconsolidation

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Abstract

Rationale

Discrepancies in an expected outcome have been demonstrated to result in modification of behaviour in both appetitive and aversive conditioning settings.

Objectives

In this study, we sought to establish whether overexpectation generated from compound conditioning with two previously rewarded stimuli was able to induce memory destabilisation and subsequent reconsolidation in a Pavlovian conditioned approach setting.

Results

It was shown that 4 days, but not 1 day, of overexpectation training was required to induce memory reconsolidation, and this was disrupted by application of the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptor antagonist MK-801 prior to overexpectation training, but not by MK-801 application 6 h post-training.

Conclusions

These data provide evidence that the memories underlying Pavlovian conditioned approach do undergo reconsolidation and that such reconsolidation can be triggered by overexpectation. Therefore, the updating of appetitive conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus associations underpinning conditioned responding in manners other than extinction training is likely achieved through memory reconsolidation.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funds from the Leverhulme Trust Grant F/00 094/BK awarded to JL. We wish to thank Mr David Barber for his assistance with data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3JX, UK

    Amy C. Reichelt & Jonathan L.C. Lee

Authors
  1. Amy C. Reichelt
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  2. Jonathan L.C. Lee
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Correspondence to Amy C. Reichelt.

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Reichelt, A.C., Lee, J.L. Over-expectation generated in a complex appetitive goal-tracking task is capable of inducing memory reconsolidation. Psychopharmacology 226, 649–658 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2934-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2934-3

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