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Context memory formed in medial prefrontal cortex during infancy enhances learning in adulthood

Author

Listed:
  • María P. Contreras

    (University of Tübingen
    International Max Planck Research School
    Leibniz-Institute of Neurobiology)

  • Marta Mendez

    (University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo)

  • Xia Shan

    (University of Tübingen
    International Max Planck Research School)

  • Julia Fechner

    (University of Tübingen
    International Max Planck Research School)

  • Anuck Sawangjit

    (University of Tübingen)

  • Jan Born

    (University of Tübingen
    University of Tübingen
    German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD)—Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich (IDM) at the University Tübingen)

  • Marion Inostroza

    (University of Tübingen)

Abstract

Adult behavior is commonly thought to be shaped by early-life experience, although episodes experienced during infancy appear to be forgotten. Exposing male rats during infancy to discrete spatial experience we show that these rats in adulthood are significantly better at forming a spatial memory than control rats without such infantile experience. We moreover show that the adult rats’ improved spatial memory capability is mainly based on memory for context information during the infantile experiences. Infantile spatial experience increased c-Fos activity at memory testing during adulthood in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not in the hippocampus. Inhibiting prelimbic mPFC at testing during adulthood abolished the enhancing effect of infantile spatial experience on learning. Adult spatial memory capability only benefitted from spatial experience occurring during the sensitive period of infancy, but not when occurring later during childhood, and when sleep followed the infantile experience. In conclusion, the infantile brain, by a sleep-dependent mechanism, favors consolidation of memory for the context in which episodes are experienced. These representations comprise mPFC regions and context-dependently facilitate learning in adulthood.

Suggested Citation

  • María P. Contreras & Marta Mendez & Xia Shan & Julia Fechner & Anuck Sawangjit & Jan Born & Marion Inostroza, 2024. "Context memory formed in medial prefrontal cortex during infancy enhances learning in adulthood," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-46734-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46734-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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