Fear Not?

When animals recall a fear memory, it is reconsolidated with new material. In rats, inhibitors of protein synthesis in the amygdala prevent reconsolidation of fear memories, permanently erasing them. Thus, these drugs are not viable for humans seeking relief from post-traumatic stress or anxiety disorders. Other researchers have found that fear extinction persists when a reminder (cue plus shock) precedes extinction training by less than 6 hours. The researchers in the current study examined nondrug methods to modify fear memories during reconsolidation in humans.

Volunteers (N=65) received mild electric shocks while viewing a colored square. Fear was assessed using skin conductance response, which relies on sweat production. Extinction trai…