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D-cycloserine facilitates extinction of learned fear: effects on reacquisition and generalized extinction.
Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Apr 15; 57(8):841-7.BP

Abstract

BACKGROUND

d-cycloserine (DCS) facilitates extinction of learned fear. The aim of this study was to examine whether DCS 1) affects reacquisition of fear (Experiment 1) and 2) produces generalized extinction of fear (Experiment 2).

METHODS

Following fear conditioning, where a light or a tone conditioned stimulus (CS) was paired with a white-noise burst unconditioned stimulus (US), rats received nonreinforced exposure to one CS (i.e., extinction training). Fear was assessed by measuring CS-elicited freezing, a species-specific defense response.

RESULTS

Rats given DCS exhibited facilitated extinction of fear but were able to reacquire fear of that CS in a similar manner as saline-treated control animals (Experiment 1). Furthermore, DCS-treated rats exhibited generalized extinction (i.e., they were less fearful of a non-extinguished CS) in comparison to controls (Experiment 2).

CONCLUSIONS

DCS facilitates extinction of learned fear to the extinguished CS, but also appears to reduce fear of a nonextinguished CS. These findings suggest that this drug may have substantial clinical value in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Ledgerwood L
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Richardson R
No affiliation info available
Cranney J
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AnimalsAntimetabolitesAvoidance LearningCalorimetry, Differential ScanningConditioning, PsychologicalCycloserineExcitatory Amino Acid AgonistsExtinction, PsychologicalFearLearningMaleN-MethylaspartateRatsRats, Sprague-Dawley

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

15820704

Citation

Ledgerwood, Lana, et al. "D-cycloserine Facilitates Extinction of Learned Fear: Effects On Reacquisition and Generalized Extinction." Biological Psychiatry, vol. 57, no. 8, 2005, pp. 841-7.
Ledgerwood L, Richardson R, Cranney J. D-cycloserine facilitates extinction of learned fear: effects on reacquisition and generalized extinction. Biol Psychiatry. 2005;57(8):841-7.
Ledgerwood, L., Richardson, R., & Cranney, J. (2005). D-cycloserine facilitates extinction of learned fear: effects on reacquisition and generalized extinction. Biological Psychiatry, 57(8), 841-7.
Ledgerwood L, Richardson R, Cranney J. D-cycloserine Facilitates Extinction of Learned Fear: Effects On Reacquisition and Generalized Extinction. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Apr 15;57(8):841-7. PubMed PMID: 15820704.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - D-cycloserine facilitates extinction of learned fear: effects on reacquisition and generalized extinction. AU - Ledgerwood,Lana, AU - Richardson,Rick, AU - Cranney,Jacquelyn, PY - 2004/03/23/received PY - 2005/01/11/revised PY - 2005/01/16/accepted PY - 2005/4/12/pubmed PY - 2005/5/17/medline PY - 2005/4/12/entrez SP - 841 EP - 7 JF - Biological psychiatry JO - Biol Psychiatry VL - 57 IS - 8 N2 - BACKGROUND: d-cycloserine (DCS) facilitates extinction of learned fear. The aim of this study was to examine whether DCS 1) affects reacquisition of fear (Experiment 1) and 2) produces generalized extinction of fear (Experiment 2). METHODS: Following fear conditioning, where a light or a tone conditioned stimulus (CS) was paired with a white-noise burst unconditioned stimulus (US), rats received nonreinforced exposure to one CS (i.e., extinction training). Fear was assessed by measuring CS-elicited freezing, a species-specific defense response. RESULTS: Rats given DCS exhibited facilitated extinction of fear but were able to reacquire fear of that CS in a similar manner as saline-treated control animals (Experiment 1). Furthermore, DCS-treated rats exhibited generalized extinction (i.e., they were less fearful of a non-extinguished CS) in comparison to controls (Experiment 2). CONCLUSIONS: DCS facilitates extinction of learned fear to the extinguished CS, but also appears to reduce fear of a nonextinguished CS. These findings suggest that this drug may have substantial clinical value in the treatment of anxiety disorders. SN - 0006-3223 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/15820704/D_cycloserine_facilitates_extinction_of_learned_fear:_effects_on_reacquisition_and_generalized_extinction_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -