Cognition, Behavior, and Memory
Author: Rocío M. Hernández Clauser | Email: rhclauser@cbc.uba.ar
Rocío M. Hernández Clauser1°, Candela Medina1°2°3°, Mariano M. Boccia1°, María C. Krawczyk1°
1° Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología de Procesos de Memoria, Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica – UBA. Buenos Aires, Argentina
2° Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), Departamento de Fisiologia, Biologia Molecular y Celular (DFBMC), Buenos Aires, Argentina
3° Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)-CONICET, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Buenos Aires, Argentina
State-dependent memories are those that are more easily retrieved when a subject is in the same neurohumoral state as when they were formed. This phenomenon suggests that the congruence between the state during encoding and the state during retrieval facilitates memory access. Several studies have suggested that physical exercise induces a physiological state that could modulate memory consolidation and retrieval through the release of endogenous opioids, among others. Endogenous opioids are neuromodulators naturally produced by the body that are involved in pain modulation and reward responses. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory suggest that exposure to moderate/intense exercise immediately after a training session on an aversive task induces an impairment in performance evaluated 48 hours later. We speculate that this impairment could be due to state-dependence induced by exercise. This work aims to elucidate how voluntary exercise is capable of modulating the consolidation and retrieval processes of an aversive memory in CF1 mice, highlighting the role of endogenous opioids and possible state-dependence. These findings may have significant implications for the design of behavioral interventions on pathological memories and will contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship.