Mind the gap: Delayed manifestation of long-term object memory improvement by phosphodiesterase inhibitors

S. Akkerman, A. Blokland, J. Prickaerts*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

We examined the temporal profile of pharmacologically enhanced episodic memory, using the object recognition task. Male Wistar rats were tested at different retention intervals ranging from 1h to 24h. The object discrimination performance of all groups (untreated, placebo, drug treatment) gradually decreased up to an interval (8h). Interestingly, only after this 8h interval the memory improving effects of vardenafil and rolipram started to emerge. This time-dependent memory performance shows similarities with the Kamin effect. The delayed manifestation of drug-enhanced memory suggests that two separate memory mechanisms are at play, a quick transient form of memory and a more stable memory form that requires several hours to develop. It is important to take this into account when testing treatments intended for long-term memory enhancement.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)139-143
JournalNeurobiology of Learning and Memory
Volume109
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2014

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