Ramirez et al.

Optogenetics allows scientists to explore many new experimental manipulations. In Ramirez et al., the authors create “a false memory in the hippocampus” using optogenetics to stimulate neurons in different contexts that are associated with a shock. The experimental design appears well established and their results seem sound as well. When placed in context “A,” specific neurons are fired. Subsequently, in context “B” a shock is paired with those neurons, which leads to freezing again in context “A” as demonstrated by Figure 1G.

            This however, is only the beginning of many sound findings. A very interesting finding is that the authors found percent c-fos cells in the BLA and CeA were high for both false recall of fear memories and natural recall of fear memories demonstrating that both types of fear memories utilize the amygdala in various ways, as demonstrated by figure 3C.

            The idea for this paper is a very interesting use of optogenetics and I wondered how generally the idea of stimulating neurons falsely could be used. To relate back to some of our other papers for example, you could likely teach learned safety using this technique or something very similar. It would be interesting also to see if anhedonia could be reversed using a similar task. Having done some research, perhaps using a GABAergic or opioid promoter in the orbitofrontal cortex of the PFC would help reduce the behavioral effects of anhedonia. I think that optogenetics could easily translate into the research of all or most disorders and phenomena if used properly.