The role of cytokines in memory consolidation

Abstract

This review discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying memory consolidation, in particular, the neuroimmune interactions that take place during memory consolidation. Animal models of hippocampus-dependent learning show that cytokines secreted by immune cells are necessary for the neural functions that underlie cognition, such as the long-term potentiation of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. The basic principles of neuroimmune interactions in acute and chronic stress are discussed, as well as the causes of neuroimmune dysregulation that may compromise cognitive functions and promote the development of neurodegenerative pathology.