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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
Amygdala BDNF signaling is required for consolidation but not encoding of extinction
Jasmeer P Chhatwal1, Lisa Stanek-Rattiner, Michael Davis
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 1639 Pierce Drive, Suite 4000, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Abstract:
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) acting through the tyrosine kinase B receptor (TrkB) is thought to be a critical mediator of learning. As there are no available selective antagonists of TrkB, we used a lentivirus encoding a dominant-negative TrkB (TrkB.t1) to antagonize BDNF signaling during extinction of conditioned fear. Whereas TrkB.t1-infected rats showed normal within-session extinction, their retention of extinction was impaired, suggesting that amygdala TrkB activation is required for the consolidation of stable extinction memories.
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