Neurogenesis in the adult is involved in the formation of trace memories

Tracey J. Shors (), George Miesegaes, Anna Beylin, Mingrui Zhao, Tracy Rydel and Elizabeth Gould
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Tracey J. Shors: Rutgers University
George Miesegaes: Rutgers University
Anna Beylin: Princeton University
Mingrui Zhao: Rutgers University
Tracy Rydel: Princeton University
Elizabeth Gould: Princeton University

Nature, 2001, vol. 410, issue 6826, 372-376

Abstract: Abstract The vertebrate brain continues to produce new neurons throughout life1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. In the rat hippocampus, several thousand are produced each day, many of which die within weeks13. Associative learning can enhance their survival13,14; however, until now it was unknown whether new neurons are involved in memory formation. Here we show that a substantial reduction in the number of newly generated neurons in the adult rat impairs hippocampal-dependent trace conditioning, a task in which an animal must associate stimuli that are separated in time15. A similar reduction did not affect learning when the same stimuli are not separated in time, a task that is hippocampal-independent16,17. The reduction in neurogenesis did not induce death of mature hippocampal neurons or permanently alter neurophysiological properties of the CA1 region, such as long-term potentiation. Moreover, recovery of cell production was associated with the ability to acquire trace memories. These results indicate that newly generated neurons in the adult are not only affected by the formation of a hippocampal-dependent memory13, but also participate in it.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35066584

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