Recovery from hypoxia and ECS-induced amnesia after a single exposure to training environment

A single exposure to the training environment for 3 min was sufficient to produce recovery from hypoxia-induced amnesia when tested 30 min later. Recovery from ECS-induced amnesia was evidenced 5 min after exposure to the training environment. The results make a state dependent learning explanation for memory loss after ECS or hypoxia unfeasible, since the recovery is seen immediately after the memory loss is evidenced. The author proposes that amnestic treatments prevent the integration of the training event into existing functional memory systems and consequently the training has no significance for the animal. Reexposure to the training environment precipitates a continuation of these integrative processes and the memory becomes organized in such a way that it has a behavioral consequence (avoidance) on the subsequent trial.