Robust memory of a previous event shown to prevent new flexible memories from being formed

For example, can a ‘robust’ memory of a previous salient event prevent an individual from forming a new related memory that would require flexible updating? Results showed the mice with robust memory of a high fat foods failed to distinguish new objects placed in their environment, demonstrating how a robust contextual memory can prevent the formation of new memories. The robust memory recruits a steady amount of nerve cells, a hiring process that later blunts the formation of new flexible memories. The combination of findings suggests a trade-off between robust and flexible memory computations, explaining why individuals may struggle to adapt their behaviour in certain situations due to strong contextual memories impacting on the present. The paper 'Organizing the coactivity structure of the hippocampus from robust to flexible memory' is published in Science.