Dissociable memory modulation mechanisms facilitate fear amnesia at different timescales.

ABSTRACT: Memory reactivation renders consolidated memory fragile and thereby opens the window for memory updates, such as memory reconsolidation. However, whether memory retrieval facilitates update mechanisms other than memory reconsolidation remains unclear. We tested this hypothesis in three experiments with healthy human participants. First, we demonstrate that memory retrieval-extinction protocol prevents the return of fear expression shortly after extinction training, and this short-term effect is memory reactivation dependent (Study 1, N=57 adults). Furthermore, across different timescales, the memory retrieval-extinction paradigm triggers distinct types of fear amnesia in terms of cue specificity and cognitive control ability dependence, suggesting that the short-term fear amnesia mi

SUBMITTER: Ni Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12705067 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature