Emotional arousal regulation of memory consolidation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.10.003Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Emotional activation before, during or shortly after learning enhances memory.

  • Memory enhancement is induced by stress hormone activation of the amygdala.

  • The amygdala activates brain regions that process different forms of memory.

Recent findings provide increased understanding of how emotional arousal creates lasting memories. The findings are consistent with those of prior studies suggesting that the enhancement assessed in human subjects results from activation of adrenergic and glucocorticoid stress hormones. Additionally, fMRI imaging findings indicate that the enhancement is influenced by activation of the amygdala and its subsequent influences on other brain systems. Findings of recent animal studies using posttraining noradrenergic or optogenetic activation of the amygdala provide extensive evidence that the basolateral amygdala modulates memory consolidation by influencing neuroplasticity in downstream brain systems involved in processing different forms of memory. Activation of these systems helps to insure that emotionally significant experiences are well remembered.

Section snippets

Human studies of emotional enhancement of memory

Usually, in our ordinary experiences, it is the memories of the specific experiences that induced emotional arousal that are remembered. We remember achievements and praises as well as failures and insults. We remember accidents and pleasant surprises. Of course the superior memories of such experience are no doubt influenced at least in part by enhanced immediate attention to the stimulating events [13]. However, emotional arousal induced before learning can enhance the memory of information

Stress hormone influences on human memory consolidation

As is discussed below, findings of animal experiments have provided extensive evidence that adrenergic and glucocorticoid activation after learning enhances memory consolidation and that glucocorticoid enhancement of memory requires adrenergic coactivation [23, 24, 25, 26]. Additionally, many studies have reported that the β-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolol impairs memory consolidation [12, 27]. Findings of studies of adrenergic and glucocorticoid effects on human memory are consistent

Emotional arousal and brain activation in human subjects

Recent studies have provided increased understanding of the neural systems involved in modulating memory consolidation. There is extensive evidence that emotional arousal activates the amygdala [39]. Recent findings have provided new evidence, consistent with those of prior studies [6, 40, 41, 42], indicating the involvement of emotionally induced activation of the amygdala and its subsequent influences on other brain systems [10, 11, 12, 43, 44].

Several recent studies using fMRI imaging have

Neuromodulatory regulation of memory consolidation in animals

The findings of recent studies of animal memory have provided additional evidence, consistent with extensive previous findings [5] indicating that stress hormones activated during or shortly after emotionally arousing learning experiences enhance memory consolidation and that the enhancement involves activation of the amygdala. Additionally, the findings provide further evidence that the enhancement is induced by amygdala projections to other brain systems involved in different forms of memory [

Concluding comments

The findings of recent studies have continued to provide evidence supporting Francis Bacon's observation that emotions assist memory. They have also provided additional understanding of the neurobiological systems that enable the assistance [73]. The extensive evidence from human and animal studies strongly indicates that the modulating influence is mediated by adrenergic activation of the amygdala and its projections to brain systems involved in enabling different forms of memory.

Conflict of interest statement

Nothing declared.

References and recommended reading

Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted as:

  • • of special interest

  • •• of outstanding interest

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