Contextual fear conditioning: Connecting brain glucose sensing and hippocampal-dependent memories

摘要

Ensembles of spatial-temporal cues determine the context associated with a given episodic memory, and efficient encoding of such cues is critical for producing appropriate behavioral reactions to emotionally charged contexts. Growing evidence suggests that deficiencies in the neural mechanisms regulating contextual memory formation constitute a central component of posttraumatic stress disorder. Because the hippocampus plays a critical role in consolidating contextual spatial-temporal cues, it is plausible to assume that impaired hippocam-pal function may be causally linked to poor trauma contextual memories and to the etiology of posttraumatic stress disorder.