Memory defects in post-dauer are a result of altered insulin signalling.

In response to unfavourable conditions and environmental duress, follows an alternative developmental stage called the dauer larva, which is associated with various metabolic changes. Dauers can survive in harsh conditions for several months. They resume their development on returning to favourable conditions.

Insulin signaling in dopaminergic neurons regulates extended memory formation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Insulin alters several brain functions, and perturbations in insulin levels could be a precipitating factor for Parkinson's disease, a disease associated with the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. It is unclear whether insulin alters the dopamine signaling pathway and modulates learning and memory. In Caenorhabditis elegans, daf-2 insulin receptor mutants have extended memory when trained for olfactory adaptation.