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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
08:17
Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
Published on: July 19, 2017
Memory modification as an outcome variable in anxiety disorder treatment
1Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458-9993, USA. wtryon@fordham.edu
Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|January 2, 2009
Summary
Learning-based interventions can create new memories that modify existing ones, offering a novel way to measure treatment success for conditions like anxiety disorders. This approach leverages the reconstructive nature of memory for therapeutic benefit.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Learning and memory are fundamentally interconnected processes crucial for cognitive function.
- Psychopathology is often linked to learning processes and the formation of associated memories.
- Memory is recognized as a dynamic, reconstructive process influenced by various internal and external factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose that learning-based interventions create new memories that can modify existing ones.
- To explore the potential of using memory modification as a metric for intervention outcomes.
- To provide a connectionist framework for understanding memory's role in psychopathology and treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of current neuroscience and psychological research on learning and memory.
- Analysis of recent findings in anxiety disorder treatment, including pharmacological agents like d-cycloserine.
- Application of a connectionist model to understand memory modification in therapeutic contexts.
Main Results:
- Learning-based interventions have the potential to generate new memories that alter established ones.
- Memory modification presents a viable avenue for assessing the efficacy of psychological interventions.
- The reconstructive nature of memory is central to both the development and treatment of certain mental health conditions.
Conclusions:
- Interventions targeting learning can reshape memory, offering a new perspective on treatment.
- Memory modification can serve as a measurable outcome in therapeutic interventions.
- Further research is recommended to explore the role of memory change in treatment efficacy for disorders such as PTSD, OCD, and GAD.
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