Replication study on the role of dopamine-dependent prefrontal reactivations in human extinction memory retrieval.

ABSTRACT: Even after successful extinction, conditioned fear can return. Strengthening the consolidation of the fear-inhibitory safety memory formed during extinction is one way to counteract return of fear. In a previous study, we found that post-extinction L-DOPA administration improved extinction memory retrieval 24 h later. Furthermore, spontaneous post-extinction reactivations of a neural activation pattern evoked in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) during extinction predicted extinction memory retrieval, L-DOPA increased the number of these reactivations, and this mediated the effect of L-DOPA on extinction memory retrieval. Here, we conducted a preregistered replication study of this work in healthy male participants. We confirm that spontaneous post-extinction vmPFC reactivations p

SUBMITTER: Andres E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10973457 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature