CA3-CA1 Network: How Memory Decay Shapes Consolidation and Forgetting

CA3-CA1 Network: How Memory Decay Shapes Consolidation and Forgetting | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article CA3-CA1 Network: How Memory Decay Shapes Consolidation and Forgetting Lei Yang, Honghui Zhang, Zhongkui Sun This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9584120/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The hippocampus is the core brain region for long-term memory encoding, consolidation, and forgetting, yet the dynamic mechanisms underlying memory engram consolidation and forgetting remain unclear. Based on the existing hippocampal CA3-CA1 synaptic network model, combined with sparse coding and discretized synaptic plasticity, this study introduces memory strength and lifetime to investigate the processes of hippocampal memory consolidation and forgetting. The initial memory stored in a local synaptic network forms a durable engram, while subsequent memories stored in non-overlapping CA1 pyramidal cells induce its decay. Numerical results show that memory strength depends on the efficiency of signaling cascades in regulating AMPA receptor efficacy during encoding, is further enhanced by decay-initiated consolidation, and is modulated by information complexity, synaptic input count, and excitatory-inhibitory balance. Long-term memory forgetting is driven by the decay effect, while learning efficiency and various neurodegenerative disorders modulate the initial memory lifetime by regulating this decay effect. Hippocampus Dynamical model Memory consolidation Forgetting Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 13 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 11 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 06 May, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 06 May, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 06 May, 2026 First submitted to journal 01 May, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9584120","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":639816444,"identity":"f2bdac83-a324-4748-86cb-039e4d480994","order_by":0,"name":"Lei Yang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwestern Polytechnical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lei","middleName":"","lastName":"Yang","suffix":""},{"id":639816446,"identity":"24933714-e8c2-4fb7-8866-537701200e8f","order_by":1,"name":"Honghui Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwestern Polytechnical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Honghui","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":639816448,"identity":"eec79acc-2aea-43b1-b382-3db256f7c01c","order_by":2,"name":"Zhongkui Sun","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAsElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCA2DShoefvYE0LWkykj0HSNNy2MbghgOROvhu5B7+zLvjPA/DDQbGDx9ziNAieSMvTZr3zG0extkNzJIztxGhxeBGjhkzb9ttHmaZA2zMvERqMf7M23aOh00igXgtBtK8bQd4eIjWInnmjZnk3LZkHgmeg83E+YXveI7xh7dtdvb2x5sPfvhIjBYGgQQYi7GBGPVAwH+ASIWjYBSMglEwcgEA1F81SyTKAnIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Northwestern Polytechnical University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhongkui","middleName":"","lastName":"Sun","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-05-01 08:23:16","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9584120/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9584120/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":109405602,"identity":"87270d7b-86a5-4713-8a3a-ab2ab8644311","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-17 13:19:19","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":874051,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"HowMemoryDecayShapesConsolidationandForgettingRevised2.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9584120/v1_covered_6d5586e0-f175-4832-bf98-8625f0774513.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"CA3-CA1 Network: How Memory Decay Shapes Consolidation and Forgetting","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nonlinear-dynamics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"nody","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nonlinear Dynamics](https://www.springer.com/journal/11071)","snPcode":"11071","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11071/3","title":"Nonlinear Dynamics","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Hippocampus, Dynamical model, Memory consolidation, Forgetting","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9584120/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9584120/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The hippocampus is the core brain region for long-term memory encoding, consolidation, and forgetting, yet the dynamic mechanisms underlying memory engram consolidation and forgetting remain unclear. 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