The impact of temporal distribution on fear extinction learning.

ABSTRACT: Fear extinction is the foundation of exposure therapy for anxiety and phobias. However, the stability of extinction memory diminishes over time, coinciding with fear recovery. To augment long-term extinction retention, the temporal distribution of extinction learning sessions is critical. This study investigated the effects of massed and spaced training (with short and long intervals) on extinction retention compared to a classic protocol. 120 healthy participants were recruited and randomly divided to massed training, spaced training with 20-minutes or 3-hours intervals, and a control group. The control group completed half the number of extinction trials compared to the other groups. The fear conditioning/extinction paradigm consisted of three consecutive days of fear acquisition, extinc

SUBMITTER: Ma Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11770545 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan-Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature