Recovery of memory in chicks after disruption during learning: the reversibility of amnesia induced by protein synthesis inhibitors.

ABSTRACT

Protein synthesis inhibitors given during learning are known to disrupt memory in various animal species in several models of learning. However, there are suggestions that amnesia induced by protein synthesis inhibitors is not permanent--memory can be recovered by a reminder procedure, i.e., by presenting the animal with one of the components of the external environment which was part of the learning situation. The aim of the present work was to determine the existence of the reminder phenomenon in a well-studied model of single-session training to passive avoidance in chicks. Cycloheximide and anisomycin were used to induce amnesia. Reminder was performed using the aversive taste of methylanthranilate 24 h after training, and testing was conducted 48 h after training. The results obtained provide evidence that memory disrupted by protein synthesis inhibitors in chicks can be recovered by the reminder procedure.