A Novel Mechanism for Induction of Dominant Memories

The excessive power of the traumatic memory is known to underlie the main symptoms of PTSD. We recently found that a dedicated memory amplification mechanism that is induced on neurons that compose the traumatic memory underlies its excessive power. This enables us to suggest a new approach for a selective reduction of the power of the traumatic memory through the deletion of the memory amplification mechanism. Reducing the power of the traumatic memory reduces its pathology and furthermore it enables the processing of the trauma and thus its management.

More specifically, we found that following an overwhelming fear experience, but not following a milder fear experience, the fear memory undergoes a process where its strength is exceedingly amplified. Behaviorally we show that amplifying the strength of an engram enables it to dominate the animal’s behavior for many weeks.

In this study findings from behavioral experiments, whole cell patch clamp recordings from identified neurons together with attractor theory and network simulations were combined to reveal this novel and unique mechanism for the induction and maintenance of dominant aversive memories, such as the ones that underlie PTSD.  The molecular and biophysical mechanisms that generate such dominant memory were investigated and its validity was tested at the behavioral level.

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