PRIN 2022 HY8KXW

How can long–lasting traumata be overcome? In this project, we propose to unravel the neural mechanisms underlying the attenuation of remote traumatic memories. Traumatic events generate some of the most enduring forms of memories and can lead to chronic fear, anxiety and stress-related disorders like phobias, panic and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Remarkably, despite the high prevalence of such disorders, effective treatment options for traumatic memories remain scarce. This discrepancy is particularly evident for remote forms of traumata, which arise when therapeutical interventions cannot be promptly initiated. We have recently identified the first neuronal substrate causally implicated in extinction of remote (1-month old) traumatic memory: the nucleus reuniens of the thalamus (NRe). While this finding provides the first entry point into the brain network of remote fear memory attenuation, the molecular and neurophysiological mechanisms at the basis of this process are far from being unraveled. With this project, we aim to elucidate for the first time the neural mechanisms of traumatic memory attenuation in a mouse model of PTSD. This will represent a fundamental leap forward for the understanding of PTSD.