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In extinction learning, which underlies exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new association with a safety signal overrides a previous association between a conditioned stimulus and a feared situation. Yet, the combination of exposure with medication has not consistently shown superiority to monotherapy. To explore this issue, researchers conducted an animal study.
Rats underwent auditory fear conditioning (pairing of a sound with a shock) and then were given daily citalopram, tianeptine (an antidepressant that in part acts as a serotonin reuptake enhancer), or saline. Treatment for 22 days, but not 9 days, impaired extinction learning (i.e., the conditioned response was extinguished more slowly with antidepressant t…