51 Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Journal homepage: www.zjrms.ir The Impairing Role of Stress on Autobiographical Memory Reconsolidation Zeinab Azimi,* 1 Abbas Bakhshipour-Roudsari 1 1. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran Article information Abstract Article history: Received: 2 Feb 2012 Accepted: 23 Feb 2012 Available online: 24 Oct 2012 ZJRMS 2012; 14(10): 51-55 Background: Despite some studies indicating improving role of stress on memory consolidation, very few animal and human studies show that stress impairs reconsolidation of memories. This study aimed to determine the effect of stress on autobiographical memory reconsolidation. Materials and Methods: The present study was done with an experimental method (Solomon Four-Group design). The statistical society of this study was all undergraduate female students in 2009-2010 academic year at Tabriz University. Forty students were selected using random cluster sampling, and we ensure about their physical and mental health by GHQ-28 and interview. Tools for this study were cueing autobiographical memory test, SECPT (for raising blood pressure and stress induction), autobiographical memory test, PANAS and general health questionnaire (GHQ-28). MANOVA was used for data analysis by SPSS-17. Results: The results show that stress after activation of memory impairs memory for neutral events (p<0.001), while there was no such effect on the memory for emotional events (p>0.05). None of stress and memory activation alone had effect on memory performance (p>0.05). Conclusion: These findings indicate that stress impairs autobiographical memory reconsolidation, which is opposite to its effects on memory consolidation, so it supports the view that consolidation and reconsolidation are separate process. Copyright © 2012 Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved. Keywords: Stress Reconsolidation Autobiographical Memory *Corresponding author at: Department psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. E-mail: zeinab.azimi1@yahoo.com Introduction utobiographical memory is a type of memory that consists of a rich knowledge based on personal experiences. Many factors may play a role in changing or improving memory [1]. For example, emotional events are recalled easily which this has been attributed to effects of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids (cortisol in human) and catecholamines (adrenalin and noradrenaline) in memory consolidation. Studies have shown that that stress and its hormones, enhance memory performance shortly after learning [2], especially these effects is stronger for emotional information, so activation of the amygdala is necessary for the effect of stress on memory consolidation [3]. The view that memory consolidation is not a unique process, first described over 40 years ago, and has got stronger in the past decade [2]. Various animal and human studies have shown that consolidated memories, when reactivated, they become again unstable and therefore there is a need to another period of consolidation, called reconsolidation. Is reconsolidation like memory consolidation influenced by stress and glucocorticoids? Animal studies for the first time showed that stress after the reactivation of memory reduces later memory [4-6]. For example, Maroun and Akirav study has shown that stress impairs object recognition memory in the mouse consolidation and this effect is reversed by injection of glucocorticoids receptor antagonist injected into amygdala, [5]. Schwabe and Wolf in study of effect of stress on human memory consolidation demonstrated that the effect of stress on memory consolidation is opposite to its effects on consolidation process and found that the consolidation and reconsolidation are separate processes. Also, in their study only reconsolidation of neutral memories was impaired by stress [2]. The study of Zhao et al. also sound the impairing role of psychological stress on reconsolidation of neutral and emotional drug-related words in people addicted to heroin [7]. Due to the lack of adequate research in this area, the present study examines whether reconsolidation of autobiographical memories is affected by stress or not. Based on animal data and findings of Schwabe and Wolf, and Zhao et al., it can be assumed that stress impairs the memory reconsolidation. Materials and Methods Using a random multi-stage cluster sampling (based on faculty, major, and the year of entering to university), 40 undergraduate students of Tabriz University were selected to participate in the study (mean age= 20.4 years, SD= 0.6) and were asked not to eat the food and beverages containing caffeine, and not to do intense physical exercise 2 hours before the test. To ensure the physical and mental health of the subjects, the General Health Questionnaire was administered to participants and the A