Abstract
There is extensive evidence indicating that the noradrenergic system of the amygdala,
particularly the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), is involved in memory
consolidation. Infusions of norepinephrine or β-adrenoceptor agonists into the BLA
enhance memory for inhibitory avoidance as well as water maze training. Other findings
show that α1-adrenoceptor activation also enhances memory for inhibitory avoidance training through
an interaction with β-adrenergic mechanisms. The central hypothesis guiding the research
reviewed in this chapter is that stress hormones released during emotionally arousing
experiences activate noradrenergic mechanisms in the BLA, resulting in enhanced memory
for those events. Findings from experiments using rats have shown that the memory-modulatory
effects of the adrenocortical stress hormones epinephrine and glucocorticoids are
mediated by influences involving activation of β-adrenoceptors in the BLA. In addition,
both behavioral and microdialysis studies have shown that the noradrenergic system
of the BLA also mediates the influences of other neuromodulatory systems such as opioid
peptidergic and GABAergic systems on memory storage. Other findings indicate that
this stress hormone-induced activation of noradrenergic mechanisms in the BLA regulates
explicit/declarative memory storage in other brain regions.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 11,
1999
Received in revised form:
May 17,
1999
Received:
March 1,
1999
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
