Authors
Daniela Schiller, Marie-H Monfils, Candace M Raio, David C Johnson, Joseph E LeDoux, Elizabeth A Phelps
Publication date
2010/1/7
Journal
Nature
Volume
463
Issue
7277
Pages
49-53
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group UK
Description
Recent research on changing fears has examined targeting reconsolidation. During reconsolidation, stored information is rendered labile after being retrieved. Pharmacological manipulations at this stage result in an inability to retrieve the memories at later times, suggesting that they are erased or persistently inhibited. Unfortunately, the use of these pharmacological manipulations in humans can be problematic. Here we introduce a non-invasive technique to target the reconsolidation of fear memories in humans. We provide evidence that old fear memories can be updated with non-fearful information provided during the reconsolidation window. As a consequence, fear responses are no longer expressed, an effect that lasted at least a year and was selective only to reactivated memories without affecting others. These findings demonstrate the adaptive role of reconsolidation as a window of opportunity to rewrite …
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