Approach memory turns to avoidance memory with age

Ontogenetic modification of an early memory is relatively poorly understood. And an important question is whether the memory output is more determined by the age at acquisition or at retention? Here we explore the expression of odor-shock conditioning in the rat pup. Acquisition at post-natal day 6 (P6) leads to an approach response and at post-natal day 12 (P12) to an avoidance response when the retention test is 24 h later. In both cases, anisomycin injected immediately post-acquisition induced a retrograde amnesia. Controls show that, in either case, short-term memory measured 4 h after acquisition is not impaired and that anisomycin given after a 4 h delay has no effect. Thus, at the two ages, memory involves a consolidation process. The main result is the spontaneous reversal of the conditioned response from approach acquired at P6 to avoidance when tested at P13. This phenomenon is robust as it is observed in three conditions. Moreover, amnesia induced at P6 is maintained at P13. Results are discussed in terms of maturation and/or competition of the memory traces.