Cue-dependent recovery from ECS-induced amnesia: Evidence for time dependence

Twenty-four hours after the administration of a footshock (FS) followed 4 or 256 sec later by an electroconvulsive shock (ECS), rats exhibited amnesia for the aversive experience. They were then given a “reminder” cue (tone), which was earlier paired as a conditioned stimulus with footshocks. Presentation of the tone resulted in attenuation of the amnestic effect in FS-ECS 256-sec delay group but failed to alter the amnestic effect in FS-ECS 4-sec delay group. Results were interpreted in support of an “incomplete” memory consolidation hypothesis.