2015
Volume 15, Number 2, pp. 69-72
Reticulo-hippocampal relations and memory consolidation
L.R. Kvirkvelia, G.O. Khikhadze and M.Y. Chkhetiani
I.S. Beritashvili Centre of Experimental Biomedicine, 14 Gotua St, 0160 Tbilisi, Georgia
Formation of declarative memory is a hippocamp-dependent process correlated with the hippocampal theta rhythm (ongoing activity). Afterwards, during consolidation memory, traces transfer to the neocortex, and the hippocampus becomes inactive (offgoing activity). The neurophysiological mechanisms of these transformations are not yet known. In this work, electrophysiological data of chronic and acute experiments in cats reveal the important rôle of the midbrain reticular formation in memory consolidation. It is supposed that during formation of memory trace, excitatory impulses are circulating between the hippocampus and the midbrain reticular formation synchronizing neurons. As a result, due to plasticity, the synchronizing activity of the reticular formation is transformed into desynchronizing, thus engendering dysfunction of the hippocampus and transfer of memory traces to the neocortex. It seems that the most important rôle in the transfer of information belongs to the anterior–ventral hippocampus.
Keywords: anterior–ventral hippocampus, consolidation, memory formation, midbrain reticular formation