Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

The precision of remote context memories does not require the hippocampus

Nature Neuroscience volume 12, pages 253–255 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Although the clarity of many memories fades with time, some memories may maintain their original precision. Here we used a context discrimination procedure to evaluate whether the hippocampus is important in maintaining precision as memories mature. Spared discrimination in hippocampal-lesioned mice indicated that precise, remote context memories may be supported by extra-hippocampal brain regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Delay-dependent decline in the precision of context memories depends on training.
Figure 2: Hippocampal lesions disrupt recent, but not remote, context discrimination.
Figure 3: Behavioral and histological quantification of hippocampal lesions.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Frankland, P.W. & Bontempi, B. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 6, 119–130 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Squire, L.R. & Bayley, P.J. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 17, 185–196 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Moscovitch, M., Nadel, L., Winocur, G., Gilboa, A. & Rosenbaum, R.S. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 16, 179–190 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kim, J.J. & Fanselow, M.S. Science 256, 675–677 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Biedenkapp, J.C. & Rudy, J.W. Learn. Mem. 14, 200–203 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Wiltgen, B.J. & Silva, A.J. Learn. Mem. 14, 313–317 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Winocur, G., Moscovitch, M. & Sekeres, M. Nat. Neurosci. 10, 555–557 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Frankland, P.W., Cestari, V., Filipkowski, R.K., McDonald, R.J. & Silva, A.J. Behav. Neurosci. 112, 863–874 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Riccio, D.C., Ackil, J. & Burch-Vernon, A. Psychol. Bull. 112, 433–445 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kirwan, C.B., Bayley, P.J., Galvan, V.V. & Squire, L.R. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 2676–2680 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Steinvorth, S., Levine, B. & Corkin, S. Neuropsychologia 43, 479–496 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Martin, S.J., de Hoz, L. & Morris, R.G. Neuropsychologia 43, 609–624 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Debiec, J., LeDoux, J.E. & Nader, K. Neuron 36, 527–538 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Tse, D. et al. Science 316, 76–82 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Winocur, G., Moscovitch, M., Fogel, S., Rosenbaum, R.S. & Sekeres, M. Nat. Neurosci. 8, 273–275 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank S. Josselyn, B. Wiltgen and A. Corvelo for comments on this manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-77561) and the EJLB Foundation (P.W.F.). C.M.T. and A.L.W. received support from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, respectively.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Szu-Han Wang

    Present address: Present address: Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada

    Szu-Han Wang, Cátia M Teixeira, Anne L Wheeler & Paul W Frankland

  2. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada

    Szu-Han Wang, Cátia M Teixeira & Paul W Frankland

  3. Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada

    Szu-Han Wang, Cátia M Teixeira, Anne L Wheeler & Paul W Frankland

Authors
  1. Szu-Han Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cátia M Teixeira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anne L Wheeler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paul W Frankland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

S.-H.W. and P.W.F. conceived and designed the experiments. S.-H.W., C.M.T. and A.L.W. performed the behavioral studies and carried out the statistical analyses. S.-H.W. conducted the lesions and histological analyses. P.W.F. supervised the project and wrote the paper with S.-H.W.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul W Frankland.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1–4, Supplementary Methods, Supplementary Results and Supplementary Note (PDF 2851 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, SH., Teixeira, C., Wheeler, A. et al. The precision of remote context memories does not require the hippocampus. Nat Neurosci 12, 253–255 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2263

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2263

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing