Memory Consolidation: Molecular and Cellular Processes
Memory is a complex biological process involving multiple brain systems, each with a specialized function, and many molecular and cellular mechanisms that process and consolidate information in the brain. Although studies in recent years have made considerable inroads into the molecular and cellular mechanisms required for triggering the intraneuronal synaptic processes underlying the initial stages of memory, little is known about the mechanisms that consolidate memories. Among the processes most intensively studied, mechanisms that regulate transcription seem to have a clear role in memory consolidation. Also, many studies have demonstrated that memory consolidation involves multiple brain systems. For example, while the hippocampus has a critical role in the initial stages of memory consolidation, remote memories seem to be dependent on cortical storage sites.
Memory and Protein Synthesis
Evidence from a variety of systems and organisms demonstrates that protein synthesis—during or shortly after training—is essential for the formation of long-term memory (LTM) (Davis and Squire, 1984). For example, the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin, given systemically before or immediately after training, blocks LTM (typically tested twenty-four hours after training) but not short-term memory (STM; 30-120 minutes after training) tested in a wide spectrum of behavioral tasks.
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