An unconditioned stimulus retrieval extinction procedure to prevent the return of fear memory.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Conditioned fear memories can be updated by extinction during reconsolidation, and this effect is specific to the reactivated conditioned stimulus (CS). However, a traumatic event can be associated with several cues, and each cue can potentially trigger recollection of the event. We introduced a technique to target all diverse cues associated with an aversive event that causes fear.

Methods

In human experiments, 161 subjects underwent modified fear conditioning, in which they were exposed to an unconditioned stimulus (US) or unreinforced CS to reactivate the memory and then underwent extinction, spontaneous recovery, and reinstatement. In animal experiments, 343 rats underwent contextual fear conditioning under a similar protocol as that used in the human experime

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4480632 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature