Moderate Stress Enhances Memory Persistence
Parfitt, G., Barbosa, Â., Campos, R., Koth, A., & Barros, D. (2012). Moderate stress enhances memory persistence: Are adrenergic mechanisms involved?. Behavioral Neuroscience, 126(5), 729-734. doi:10.1037/a0029861
In the article Moderate Stress Enhances Memory Persistence: Are Adrenergic Mechanisms Involved? the author’s main issue was understanding how stress affects the different stages of memory persistence, that is, knowing which mechanisms in the learning process are affected and how. The purpose of this experiment is to analyze how stress by immobilization affects the persistence of long-term memory along with administration of beta-adrenergic antagonist treatment, theoretically resulting in different memory retention over 7 days.
For the testing purposes, the author gathered 170 male Wistar rats ranging from two to three months of age and weighting 250-280 grams. These testing subjects were obtained from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande’s breeding colony. The rats were separated into groups of five rats per cage under twelve hour light conditions at approximately 22 degrees Celsius. The rats were provided food and water as well. The study consisted of several experiments, all of which restrained the rat’s movement. In the first series of experiments the rats were maintained immobilized for fifteen minutes, one and three hours. For the second series of experiments the rats were administered an injection with beta-adrenergic blocker, which is 25 milligrams of propranolol, while the control was administered saline injections. A third part of the experiment consisted of a reversal, where the test subjects were administered either propranolol or saline before the rats were submitted to one hour of stress. Memory retention was tested by setting the testing subjects on a platform in a box with stainless steel bars on the bottom, shocking the subject every time the four paws were touching the steel bars. The shocks consisted of 1 second and 0.7
In the article Moderate Stress Enhances Memory Persistence: Are Adrenergic Mechanisms Involved? the author’s main issue was understanding how stress affects the different stages of memory persistence, that is, knowing which mechanisms in the learning process are affected and how. The purpose of this experiment is to analyze how stress by immobilization affects the persistence of long-term memory along with administration of beta-adrenergic antagonist treatment, theoretically resulting in different memory retention over 7 days.
For the testing purposes, the author gathered 170 male Wistar rats ranging from two to three months of age and weighting 250-280 grams. These testing subjects were obtained from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande’s breeding colony. The rats were separated into groups of five rats per cage under twelve hour light conditions at approximately 22 degrees Celsius. The rats were provided food and water as well. The study consisted of several experiments, all of which restrained the rat’s movement. In the first series of experiments the rats were maintained immobilized for fifteen minutes, one and three hours. For the second series of experiments the rats were administered an injection with beta-adrenergic blocker, which is 25 milligrams of propranolol, while the control was administered saline injections. A third part of the experiment consisted of a reversal, where the test subjects were administered either propranolol or saline before the rats were submitted to one hour of stress. Memory retention was tested by setting the testing subjects on a platform in a box with stainless steel bars on the bottom, shocking the subject every time the four paws were touching the steel bars. The shocks consisted of 1 second and 0.7