| |
Abstract:
Evidence shows that heavy stress induces impairment of
memory. However, paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD), a stressor in
itself, has uncertain effect on memory. The goal of our study was
to evaluate the hypothesis that PS plays a role in the forgetting
events experienced under stressful conditions. To generate
comparable data, PSD and Stressed rats were tested in similar
conditions and with flowerpot method. Our results showed that 24hr
PSD had no effect on aversive memory storage and long-term
retention whenever PSD was treated immediately or 24hr after
criterion training in passive avoidance response. Whereas a
post-training immediate treatment on a large platform evidently
impaired the storage of information, even lasting for more than 49
days, while the same treatment 24 hr delayed and previously
adapting on the large platform for 5 times before the training
session had no effect. These data suggest a relationship between
paradoxical sleep, long-term stress, and the erasure of aversive
memory traces. The inability to recall aversive information may be
related to memory erasing process associated with paradoxical sleep
which may fragment memory traces. That was coordinate to the theory
we dream in order to forget. Supported by: Yunnan and Chinese
Science Foundation, National Basic Research Program of
China.
|
