R. F. Westbrook

Prediction error determines how memories are organized in the brain: a study of Pavlovian fear extinction in rats

This study shows that gradual extinction, which produces small prediction errors, is more effective than standard extinction in long-term fear suppression in rats, supporting latent state theories of memory organization.

What is learned determines how Pavlovian conditioned fear is consolidated in the brain.

This study shows that protein synthesis in the BLA is required for first-order fear consolidation but not second-order fear, reflecting differences in what is learned during conditioning.

Contextual and temporal regulation of fear memory consolidation in the basolateral amygdala complex

This study shows that protein synthesis in the BLA is not always required for fear memory consolidation, depending on similarity to prior experiences, temporal distance, and context.

Danger changes the way the brain consolidates neutral information; and does so by interacting with processes involved in the encoding of that information.

This study shows that danger shifts memory consolidation of neutral information from the perirhinal cortex to the basolateral amygdala by altering encoding processes in rats.