When memories are retrieved they become labile, and subject to alteration by a process known as reconsolidation. Disruption of memory reconsolidation decreases the performance of learned responses, which is often attributed to erasure of the memory; in the case of Pavlovian learning, to a loss of the association between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US). However, an alternative interpretation is that disrupting reconsolidation does not erase memories, but blunts their emotional/motivational impact. It is difficult to parse the predictive vs. emotional/motivational value of CSs in non-human animals, but studies on variation in the form of conditioned responses (CRs) in a Pavlovian conditioned approach task suggest a way to do this. In this task a lever-CS paired with a food reward (US) acquires predictive value in all rats, but is attributed with emotional/motivational value to a greater extent in some rats (sign-trackers) than others (goal-trackers). We report that the post-retrieval administration of propranolol selectively attenuates a sign-tracking CR, and the associated neural activation of brain "motive circuits", while having no effect on conditioned orienting behavior in sign-trackers, or on goal-tracking CRs evoked by either a lever-CS or a tone-CS. We conclude that the disruption of reconsolidation by post-retrieval propranolol degrades the emotional/motivational impact of the CS, required for sign-tracking, but leaves the CS-US association intact. The possibility that post-retrieval interventions can reduce the emotional/motivational aspects of memories, without actually erasing them, has important implications for treating maladaptive memories that contribute to some psychiatric disorders.

中文翻译：

---

破坏再巩固：记忆擦除或情感/动机价值的钝化？

当记忆被取回时，它们变得不稳定，并且受到称为重新巩固的过程的改变。记忆重新巩固的中断会降低学习反应的表现，这通常归因于记忆的擦除；在巴甫洛夫学习的情况下，条件刺激（CS）和非条件刺激（US）之间的关联丧失。然而，另一种解释是，破坏重新巩固不会抹去记忆，但会削弱他们的情感/动机影响。很难解析 CS 在非人类动物中的预测价值与情感/动机价值，但对巴甫洛夫条件方法任务中条件反应 (CR) 形式变化的研究提出了一种方法。在这项任务中，与食物奖励（美国）配对的杠杆 CS 在所有大鼠中获得预测价值，但在某些老鼠（标志追踪者）中，情感/动机价值比其他老鼠（目标追踪者）更大。我们报告说，普萘洛尔的检索后给药选择性地减弱了标志跟踪 CR，以及大脑“动力回路”的相关神经激活，而对标志跟踪器中的条件定向行为或目标跟踪 CR 没有影响。通过杠杆-CS 或音调-CS。我们得出结论，检索后普萘洛尔对再巩固的破坏降低了 CS 的情绪/动机影响，这是标志跟踪所需的，但使 CS-US 关联完好无损。检索后干预可以减少记忆的情感/动机方面的可能性，而不是真正擦除它们，