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| Research article summary (published 31 Mar 2009): |
Extinction-reconsolidation boundaries: key to persistent attenuation of fear memories.
Full Abstract
Dysregulation of the fear system is at the core of many psychiatric disorders. Much progress has been made in uncovering the neural basis of fear learning through studies in which associative emotional memories are formed by pairing an initially neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS; e.g., a tone) to an unconditioned stimulus (US; e.g., a shock). Despite recent advances, the question of how to persistently weaken aversive CS-US associations, or dampen traumatic memories in pathological cases, remains a major dilemma. Two paradigms (blockade of reconsolidation and extinction) have been used in the laboratory to reduce acquired fear. Unfortunately, their clinical efficacy is limited: Reconsolidation blockade typically requires potentially toxic drugs, and extinction is not permanent. Here, we describe a behavioral design in which a fear memory in rats is destabilized and reinterpreted as safe by presenting an isolated retrieval trial before an extinction session. This procedure permanently attenuates the fear memory without the use of drugs.
Author information
Author/s: Monfils, Marie-H (MH); Cowansage, Kiriana K (KK); Klann, Eric (E); LeDoux, Joseph E (JE);
Affiliation: Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. monfils(-atsign-)mail.utexas.edu
Grants: F31MH083472 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; K05 MH067048 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; NS034007 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; NS047384 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; P50 MH058911 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH046516 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R37 MH038774 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal: Science (New York, N.Y.) (Science), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2009-May; vol 324 (issue 5929) : pp 951-5
Dates: Created 2009/05/15; Completed 2009/05/29;
PMID: 19342552, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/29/2009, IMS Date: )
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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