Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40467858›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

Synaptic potentiation of engram cells is necessary and sufficient for context fear memory.

Leonardo M Cardozo, André F de Sousa, Blythe C Dillingham, Westley Dang, Nicholas Job, Eun J Yoo, Sural K Ranamukhaarachchi, Qi Yuan, Mark Mayford

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Leonardo M CardozoNeurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA. leominete@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-7751-0441
André F de SousaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA. asousa@mednet.ucla.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2613-1546
Blythe C DillinghamDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA.
Westley DangDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA.
Nicholas JobDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA.
Eun J YooDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA.
Sural K RanamukhaarachchiDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA.
Qi YuanDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA. qyuan@mun.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9837-8495
Mark MayfordDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA.

Funding

REGULATED GENETIC STUDIES OF MEMORY FORMATIONR01MH057368 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MAYFORD, MARK R · 1997 to 2017
$5.9M
Activity Based Taggin of NeuronsR01DA035657 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MAYFORD, MARK R · 2012 to 2016
$2.3M
NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA035657NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH057368
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The nature and distribution of the synaptic changes that underlie memory are not well understood. Here we examine the synaptic plasticity behind context fear conditioning in male and female mice and find that new learning produces synaptic potentiation specifically onto engram neurons in the basolateral amygdala. This potentiation lasts at least 7 days, is reversed by extinction, and its disruption impairs memory recall. High frequency optogenetic stimulation of the CS and US-activated ensembles, or biochemical induction of synaptic potentiation in US-responsive neurons alone, is sufficient to produce a context fear association without prior associative training. These results suggest that plasticity of CS inputs onto US-responsive amygdala neurons underlies memory formation and is necessary and sufficient to establish context fear associations.

Indexed as

Basolateral Nuclear ComplexFearMemoryNeuronal PlasticityNeuronsSynapsesAmygdalaAnimalsConditioning, ClassicalFemaleMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLOptogenetics

Identifiers

PMID40467858
PMCPMC12137600

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.