A methodology and pharmaceutical and gene therapies for the treatment and regulation of memory function are provided. The invention identifies specific HDAC, and in particular, HDAC3 and HDAC4 as negative regulators of memory formation and specifically targets one or both HDAC3 and HDAC4 for down-regulation. By specifically targeting HDAC3 and HDAC4 with small molecule inhibitors and gene therapies it is possible to provide a powerful therapeutic approach to facilitate gene expression during memory formation that can lead to the regulation and treatment of memory disorders.
