A reminder before extinction strengthens episodic memory via reconsolidation but fails to disrupt generalized threat responses
Publication year
2017Source
Scientific Reports, 7, (2017), article 10858ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

Display more detailsDisplay less details
Organization
Cognitive Neuroscience
Journal title
Scientific Reports
Volume
vol. 7
Subject
Radboudumc 13: Stress-related disorders DCMN: Donders Center for Medical NeuroscienceAbstract
A reminder can temporarily renew flexibility of consolidated memories, referred to as reconsolidation. Pavlovian threat-conditioning studies suggest that a reminder can renew flexibility of threat responses but that episodic memories remain stable. In contrast, outside the threat-conditioning domain, studies testing memory for word lists or stories find that a reminder can renew flexibility of episodic memory. This discrepancy in findings leaves it unclear if episodic memories reconsolidate, or only Pavlovian responses. Here we unite the different approaches in the field and show that a reminder can retroactively strengthen episodic memory for Pavlovian threat-conditioned events, but that, in contrast to threat-conditioning studies with simple sensory stimuli, extinction after a reminder fails to prevent recovery of generalized threat responses. Our results indicate the episodic memories also reconsolidate, allowing strengthening of relevant memories. These findings also suggest that generalized threat responses and episodic memories are less susceptible to be modified by reminder-interventions procedures.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [203856]
- Electronic publications [102283]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [80326]
- Open Access publications [70938]
Upload full text
Use your RU credentials (u/z-number and password) to log in with SURFconext to upload a file for processing by the repository team.