The effect of reinstatement stimulus conditions on the maintenance of long-term memory

Weanling rats trained on an appetitive S^DS^Δ discrimination were subsequently exposed to different components of the training stimulus for 15 min each week for 10 successive weeks. On the week following the final stimulus exposure retention was measured by a 2-hr relearning test. Those subjects exposed to all acquisition cues (S^DS^Δ with reinforcement), as well as those exposed to S^Δ conditions alone, demonstrated enhanced retention relative to a control group receiving no reinstatement experience. All other exposure conditions including presentation of S^D with reinforcement were either ineffective or impaired retention.