Preventing the return of fear in humans using reconsolidation update mechanisms

@article{Schiller2010PreventingTR,
  title={Preventing the return of fear in humans using reconsolidation update mechanisms},
  author={Daniela Schiller and Marie H Monfils and Candace M. Raio and David C. Johnson and Joseph E LeDoux and Elizabeth A. Phelps},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2010},
  volume={463},
  pages={49-53}
}
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… 
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This study replicated Schiller et al., (2010) behavioral manipulation and extended it to an auditory fear conditioning paradigm based on auditory aversive stimuli instead of electric shock and demonstrated that only the conditioned stimulus that was reminded 10 minutes before extinction training did not reinstate a fear response after a reminder trial consisting of the presentation of the unconditioned stimuli.
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The results revealed an enhancing effect of cortisol on reconsolidation of the reactivated memory, which was highly specific, strengthening only the memory of the reactedivated conditioned stimulus and not the non-reactivated one.
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