Reexposure to the amnestic agent alleviates cycloheximide-induced retrograde amnesia for reactivated and extinction memories

Abstract

We investigated whether reexposure to an amnestic agent would reverse amnesia for extinction of learned fear similar to that of a reactivated memory. When cycloheximide (CHX) was administered immediately after a brief cue-induced memory reactivation (15 sec) and an extended extinction session (12 min) rats showed retrograde amnesia for both memories. CHX did not produce amnesia for a moderate extinction session (6 min). Re-administering CHX before testing reversed the amnestic effect for both memories (i.e., the memories were recovered). These results are discussed using a modified state dependent model of retrograde amnesia.