Drug memory reconsolidation: from molecular mechanisms to the clinical context

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Abstract

Since its rediscovery at the beginning of the 21 ^st Century, memory reconsolidation has been proposed to be a therapeutic target for reducing the impact of emotional memories that can go awry in mental health disorders such as drug addiction (substance use disorder, SUD). Addiction can be conceptualised as a disorder of learning and memory, in which both pavlovian and instrumental learning systems become hijacked into supporting drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviours. The past two decades of research have characterised the details of the molecular pathways supporting the reconsolidation of pavlovian cue-drug memories, with more recent work indicating that the reconsolidation of instrumental drug-seeking memories also relies upon similar mechanisms. This narrative review considers what is known about the mechanisms underlying the reconsolidation of pavlovian and instrumental memories associated with drug use, how these approaches have translated to experimental medicine studies, and the challenges and opportunities for the clinical use of reconsolidation-based therapies.

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Most cited references 209

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Author and article information

Contributors

Amy L. Milton:

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0175-9417

alm46@cam.ac.uk

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Transl Psychiatry

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Transl Psychiatry

Title: Translational Psychiatry

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK (London )

ISSN (Electronic): 2158-3188

Publication date (Electronic): 1 December 2023

Publication date PMC-release: 1 December 2023

Publication date Collection: 2023

Volume: 13

Electronic Location Identifier: 370

Affiliations

Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, ( https://ror.org/013meh722) Cambridge, UK

Author information

Amy L. Milton http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0175-9417

Article

Publisher ID: 2666

DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02666-1

PMC ID: 10692359

PubMed ID: 38040677

SO-VID: 53570c6e-dc7b-41e8-bf8e-be7f0514c2e7

License:

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