Post-retrieval noradrenergic activation impairs subsequent memory depending on cortico-hippocampal reactivation.

ABSTRACT: When retrieved, seemingly stable memories can become sensitive to significant events, such as acute stress. The mechanisms underlying these memory dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we show that noradrenergic stimulation after memory retrieval impairs subsequent remembering, depending on hippocampal and cortical signals emerging during retrieval. In a three-day study, we measured brain activity using fMRI during initial encoding, 24 hr-delayed memory cueing followed by pharmacological elevations of glucocorticoid or noradrenergic activity, and final recall. While post-retrieval glucocorticoids did not affect subsequent memory, the impairing effect of noradrenergic arousal on final recall depended on hippocampal reactivation and category-level reinstatement in the ventral temporal cor

SUBMITTER: Heinbockel H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11778928 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature