Molecular Mechanism Underlying Memory Modulated by Emotions and Stress

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the factors that affect the quality of our memories is of great significance with respect to different pathological states of the brain. When encountered, emotionally charged and novel stimuli are capable of inducing changes in the homeostatic states of the brain and the body. In order to explain some of the effects of emotional salience and novelty on mnemonic processes, theoretical accounts such as the “Memory Modulation Hypothesis”, the “Temporal Dynamics Model of Emotional Memory Processing” and the “Behavioral Tagging Hypothesis” have been put forward. Meanwhile, questions about the molecular and cellular mechanisms of how information is encoded, stored and recalled remain largely unanswered.

This Special Issue aims to attract the interest of researchers who study the modulatory effect of emotions, stress and novelty on memory consolidation, retrieval and reconsolidation. The main objective is to provide a platform for the promotion of the latest discoveries regarding the cellular mechanism of the emotional enhancement of memory, circuits responsible for novelty detection and the neuromodulatory capacities of catecholamines, the endocannabinoid system, acetylcholine and glucocorticoids.

Potential topics focusing on molecule-level studies are as follows:

• The role of the basolateral amygdala in the emotional modulation of memory;
• The role of locus coeruleus connected to dorsal hippocampus projections in memory consolidation and novelty processing;
• The effects of post-encoding stress on cellular and system consolidation;
• The effects of stress on memory retrieval and reconsolidation;
• The effects of cortisol/corticosterone on synaptic plasticity and gene expression in the hippocampus;
• The role of the endocannabinoid system in the hippocampus and basolateral amygdala for the emotional modulation of memory;
• The effects of noradrenaline and dopamine (catecholamines) on synaptic plasticity, gene expression and memory consolidation in the hippocampus;
• The role of acetylcholine in novelty processing;
• The dopaminergic projections to the hippocampus—different roles of the ventral tegmental area and the locus coeruleus in respect to novelty;
• Effects of chronic and traumatic stress of hippocampal plasticity—relevance to depression, PTSD and substance abuse.

Prof. Dr. Jana Tchekalarova
Guest Editor

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• emotions
• stress
• memory
• pathology