A ONE-TRIAL MOUSE MODEL OF TRAUMA-INDUCED LONG-TERM MEMORY

The formation and maintenance of memory throughout life remains one of the central unsolved problems in neuroscience. Although many experimental models have been developed to study memory, there is currently a lack of paradigms that would allow for reliably investigating the mechanisms underlying highly stable memory over timescales comparable to the lifespan. In this study, we examined the ability of mice to form highly stable long-term memory using a contextual fear conditioning paradigm, an adapted model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with varying intensities of aversive stimulation. We developed a one-trial learning model in which mice reliably formed long-term associative memories that persisted for at least six months, demonstrating a promising tool for investigating mechanisms of memory retention across the lifespan.

long-term memory, lifelong memory, fear conditioning, PTSD, aversive memory, one-trial learning