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Reconsolidation in a human fear conditioning study: a test of extinction as updating mechanism.
Biol Psychol. 2013 Jan; 92(1):43-50.BP

Abstract

Disrupting reconsolidation seems to be a promising approach to dampen the expression of fear memory. Recently, we demonstrated that disrupting reconsolidation by a pharmacological manipulation specifically targeted the emotional expression of memory (i.e., startle response). Here we test in a human differential fear-conditioning paradigm with fear-relevant stimuli whether the spacing of a single unreinforced retrieval trial relative to extinction learning allows for "rewriting" the original fear association, thereby preventing the return of fear. In contrast to previous findings reported by Schiller et al. (2010), who used a single-method for indexing fear (skin conductance response) and fear-irrelevant stimuli, we found that extinction learning within the reconsolidation window did not prevent the recovery of fear on multiple indices of conditioned responding (startle response, skin conductance response and US-expectancy). These conflicting results ask for further critical testing given the potential impact on the field of emotional memory and its application to clinical practice.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Weesperplein 4, 1018 XA Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.kindt@uva.nlNo affiliation info available

Pub Type(s)

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

Language

eng

PubMed ID

21986472

Citation

Kindt, Merel, and Marieke Soeter. "Reconsolidation in a Human Fear Conditioning Study: a Test of Extinction as Updating Mechanism." Biological Psychology, vol. 92, no. 1, 2013, pp. 43-50.
Kindt M, Soeter M. Reconsolidation in a human fear conditioning study: a test of extinction as updating mechanism. Biol Psychol. 2013;92(1):43-50.
Kindt, M., & Soeter, M. (2013). Reconsolidation in a human fear conditioning study: a test of extinction as updating mechanism. Biological Psychology, 92(1), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.09.016
Kindt M, Soeter M. Reconsolidation in a Human Fear Conditioning Study: a Test of Extinction as Updating Mechanism. Biol Psychol. 2013;92(1):43-50. PubMed PMID: 21986472.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Reconsolidation in a human fear conditioning study: a test of extinction as updating mechanism. AU - Kindt,Merel, AU - Soeter,Marieke, Y1 - 2011/10/08/ PY - 2011/04/20/received PY - 2011/08/18/revised PY - 2011/09/26/accepted PY - 2011/10/12/entrez PY - 2011/10/12/pubmed PY - 2013/6/1/medline SP - 43 EP - 50 JF - Biological psychology JO - Biol Psychol VL - 92 IS - 1 N2 - Disrupting reconsolidation seems to be a promising approach to dampen the expression of fear memory. Recently, we demonstrated that disrupting reconsolidation by a pharmacological manipulation specifically targeted the emotional expression of memory (i.e., startle response). Here we test in a human differential fear-conditioning paradigm with fear-relevant stimuli whether the spacing of a single unreinforced retrieval trial relative to extinction learning allows for "rewriting" the original fear association, thereby preventing the return of fear. In contrast to previous findings reported by Schiller et al. (2010), who used a single-method for indexing fear (skin conductance response) and fear-irrelevant stimuli, we found that extinction learning within the reconsolidation window did not prevent the recovery of fear on multiple indices of conditioned responding (startle response, skin conductance response and US-expectancy). These conflicting results ask for further critical testing given the potential impact on the field of emotional memory and its application to clinical practice. SN - 1873-6246 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/21986472/Reconsolidation_in_a_human_fear_conditioning_study:_a_test_of_extinction_as_updating_mechanism_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -