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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jun 9.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2011 Jun 9;70(5):830–845. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.04.023

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Stabilization and destabilization of memory. Memory formation is associated with initial encoding to establish a short-term memory (STM) followed by a time-dependent consolidation phase to establish a stable long-term memory (LTM). Retrieval of LTM destabilizes or deconsolidates (decon.) the memory (LTMr) rendering it labile once more; the persistence of LTM after retrieval requires reconsolidation (recon.). Failure to reconsolidate the memory trace results in decay, much as STM decays in the absence of consolidation. In the absence of retrieval, LTM may be actively erased by a variety of manipulations by interfering with the molecular mechanisms involved in memory maintenance.