Blockage of glucocorticoid receptors during memory acquisition,retrieval and reconsolidation prevents the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preferences in mice

Association between the reward caused by consuming drugs and the context in which they are consumed is essential in the formation of morphine-induced conditioned place preference(CPP).Glucocorticoid receptor(GRs)activation in different regions of the brain affects reward-based reinforcement and memory processing.A wide array of studies have demonstrated that blockage of GRs in some brain areas can have an effect on reward-related memory;however,to date there have been no systematic studies about the involvement of glucocorticoids(GCs)in morphine-related reward memory.Here,we used the GR antagonist RU38486 to investigate how GRs blockage affects the sensitization and CPP behavior during different phases of reward memory included acquisition,retrieval and reconsolidation.Interestingly,our results showed RU38486 has the ability to impair the acquisition,retrieval and reconsolidation of reward-based memory in CPP and sensitization behavior.But RU38486 by itself cannot induce CPP or conditioned place aversion(CPA)behavior.Our data provide a much more complete picture of the potential effects that glucocorticoids have on the reward memory of different phases and inhibit the sensitization behavior.

Brain Interactions between Extinction and Reconsolidation in the Treatment of Fear Memories

Memory traces become labile at the time of retrieval, and this initiates two protein synthesis-dependent processes in the brain: extinction, which inhibits their further retrieval, and reconsolidation, which may enhance retrieval or change the memory’s content. Extinction may itself suffer reconsolidation. Interactions between these processes may be applied to the treatment of fear memories, such as those underlying the post-traumatic stress disorder.

Relationship between dreaming and memory reconsolidation

Dreaming is a ubiquitous phenomenon in human beings and has been discussed, researched, and hypothesized since a long time. The substrate, physiological mechanism, and function of dreaming have been explained by many scientists from the neurological,psychiatric, psychological, and philosophical perspective. With the development of scientific technology, many theories of dreaming have been established. In the present review, we first summarize the different theories of dreaming; furthermore, we introduce memory consolidation and reconsolidation. Lastly, we propose that memory might be associated with memory reconsolidation and list the explanations.

Personalized treatment-which interaction ingredients should be focused to capture the unconscious

A recent meta-analysis revealed that mental health and baseline psychological impairment affect the quality of life and outcomes in different chronic conditions.Implementing mental health care in physical care services is still insufficient.Thus,interdisciplinary communication across treatment providers is essential.The standardized language provided by the diagnostic statistical manual favors a clear conceptualization.However,this approach might not focus on the individual,as thinking in categories might impede recognizing the continuum from healthy to diseased.Psychoanalytic theory is concerned with an individual’s unconscious conflictual wishes and motivations,manifested through enactments like psychic symptoms or(maladaptive)behavior with long-term consequences if not considered.Such modifiable internal and external factors often are inadequately treated.However,together with the physical chronic condition constraints,these factors determine degrees of freedom for a self-determined existence.The effect of therapeutic interventions,and especially therapy adherence,relies on a solid therapeutic relationship.Outcome and process research still investigates the mechanism of change in psychotherapeutic treatments with psychanalysis’s focus on attachment problems.This article examines existing knowledge about the mechanism of change in psychoanalysis under the consideration of current trends emerging from psychotherapy research.A clinical example is discussed.Additionally,further directions for research are given.The theoretical frame in psychoanalytic therapies is the affect-cognitive interface.Subliminal affect-perception is enabled via awareness of subjective meanings in oneself and the other;shaping this awareness is the main intervention point.The interactional ingredients,the patient’s inherent bioenvironmental history meeting the clinician,are relevant variables.Several intrinsic,subliminal parameters relevant for changing behavior are observed.Therapeutic interventions aim at supporting the internalization of the superego’s functions and at making this ability available in moments of self-reflection.By supporting mentalization abilities,a better understanding of oneself and higher selfregulation(including emotional regulation)can lead to better judgments(application of formal logic and abstract thinking).Thus,this facilitates enduring behavior change with presumably positive effects on mental and physical health.

Laboratory Test on Volumetric Characteristics of Saturated Sea Sand Under Cyclic Loading

The deformation of sea coast or sandy deposits caused by earthquakes can lead to catastrophic damages to various port structures. The volumetric deformation is mainly induced by densification of sand during the dissipation of excess pore water pressure created by cyclic loading. Based on laboratory test, the reconsolidation volumetric characteristics of saturated sea sand are investigated. The experiments are conducted with a newly developed multi functional triaxial test equipment. Two types of dynamic loads are applied to the samples to clarify different kinds of affecting factors. It is found that the reconsolidation volumetric strain is correlated not only to the excess pore water pressure and the maximum shear strain during the dynamic loading, but also to the effective confining pressure. A new formula is put forward to calculate the volumetric strain during reconssolidation.

Analyses of fear memory in Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice: intact short-term memory and impaired long-term and remote memory

Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1) was originally identified in patients with seizures. It is densely distributed in the hip-pocampus and amygdala in particular. Because the expression of Arc/Arg3.1 is regulated by nerve in-puts, it is thought to be an immediate early gene. As shown both in vitro and in vivo, Arc/Arg3.1 is in-volved in synaptic consolidation and regulates some forms of learning and memory in rats and mice [1,2]. Furthermore, a recent study suggests that Arc/Arg3.1 may play a significant role in signal transmission via AMPA-type glutamate receptors [3-5]. Therefore, we conducted a detailed analysis of fear memory in Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice. As previously reported, the knockout animals exhib-ited impaired fear memory in both contextual and cued test situations. Although Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice showed almost the same performance as wild-type littermates 4 hr after a conditioning trial, their performance was impaired in the retention test after 24 hr or longer, either with or without reconsolidation. Immunohistochemical analyses showed an abnormal density of GluR1 in the hip-pocampus of Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice;however, an application of AMPA potentiator did not improve memory performance in the mutant mice. Memory impairment in Arc/Arg3.1-deficient mice is so ro-bust that the mice provide a useful tool for devel-oping treatments for memory impairment.