Transcranial direct current stimulation may modulate extinction memory in posttraumatic stress disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Abnormalities in fear extinction and recall are core components of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data from animal and human studies point to a role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in extinction learning and subsequent retention of extinction memories. Given the increasing interest in developing noninvasive brain stimulation protocols for psychopathology treatment, we piloted whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during extinction learning, vs. during consolidation of extinction learning, might improve extinction recall in veterans with warzone-related PTSD.

Methods

Twenty-eight veterans with PTSD completed a 2-day Pavlovian fear conditioning, extinction, and recall paradigm. Participants received one 10-min session of 2 mA an

SUBMITTER: Van't Wout M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5434186 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature