A novelty-retrieval-extinction paradigm leads to persistent attenuation of remote fear memories.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to a novel environment can enhance the extinction of recent contextual fear in mice. This has been explained by a tagging and capture hypothesis. Consistently, we show in mice that exposure to a novel environment before extinction training promoted the extinction of recent auditory fear. However, such a promoting effect of novelty was absent for remote memories. In the present study, we replaced the regular extinction training with a retrieval-extinction session which capitalized on a reconsolidation window. When novelty exposure was followed by a retrieval-extinction session, remote fear was distinguished more easily and permanently. We have termed it as a "novelty-retrieval-extinction" paradigm. This paradigm played a greater role in the extinction of remote fear when fear condi

SUBMITTER: Huang F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7039928 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature