Could learning that uses cognitive control to judiciously use relevant information while ignoring distractions generally improve brain function, beyond forming explicit memories? According to a neuroplasticity hypothesis for how some cognitive behavioural therapies are effective, cognitive control training (CCT) changes neural circuit information processing^1,2,3. Here we investigated whether CCT persistently alters hippocampal neural circuit function. We show that mice learned and remembered a conditioned place avoidance during CCT that required ignoring irrelevant locations of shock. CCT facilitated learning new tasks in novel environments for several weeks, relative to unconditioned controls and control mice that avoided the same place during reduced distraction. CCT rapidly changes entorhinal cortex-to-dentate gyrus synaptic circuit function, resulting in an excitatory–inhibitory subcircuit change that persists for months. CCT increases inhibition that attenuates the dentate response to medial entorhinal cortical input, and through disinhibition, potentiates the response to strong inputs, pointing to overall signal-to-noise enhancement. These neurobiological findings support the neuroplasticity hypothesis that, as well as storing item–event associations, CCT persistently optimizes neural circuit information processing.

除了形成明确的记忆之外，使用认知控制来明智地使用相关信息同时忽略干扰的学习能否普遍改善大脑功能？根据关于某些认知行为疗法如何有效的神经可塑性假说，认知控制训练 (CCT) 改变了神经回路信息处理^1,2,3. 在这里，我们研究了 CCT 是否会持续改变海马神经回路功能。我们表明，小鼠在 CCT 期间学习并记住了条件性位置回避，这需要忽略不相关的电击位置。相对于无条件控制和控制小鼠在减少分心期间避开同一个地方，CCT 有助于在新环境中学习新任务数周。CCT 迅速改变内嗅皮层到齿状回的突触回路功能，导致持续数月的兴奋性-抑制性亚回路变化。CCT 增加抑制，减弱对内侧内嗅皮层输入的齿状反应，并通过去抑制，增强对强输入的反应，表明整体信噪比增强。