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Updated: Apr 25, 2026
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Disrupting Reconsolidation of Fear Memory in Humans by a Noradrenergic β-Blocker
Published on: December 18, 2014
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Fear conditioning, safety learning, and sleep in humans
Anisa J Marshall1, Dean T Acheson2, Victoria B Risbrough2
1Research and.
Summary
Fear conditioning impacts sleep, with better safety learning linked to more REM sleep. This REM sleep then aids in retaining fear and safety memories, suggesting sleep disruption may contribute to PTSD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Fear conditioning models are used for PTSD research.
- Animal models show fear conditioning disrupts REM sleep.
- This study translates these findings to humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine fear conditioning and safety learning effects on REM sleep in adults.
- Investigate REM sleep's influence on fear and safety memory retention.
- Explore the role of REM sleep in PTSD mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Used the fear potentiated startle (FPS) procedure in 42 healthy adults over 3 nights.
- Administered FPS with threat and safety signals, followed by retention tests.
- Analyzed relationships between FPS responses and REM sleep using canonical correlations.
Main Results:
- Increased safety signal learning correlated with enhanced REM sleep consolidation.
- Safety signal learning explained 28.4% of REM sleep consolidation variance.
- REM sleep predicted 22.5% of the variance in overnight retention of fear and safety learning.
Conclusions:
- Sleep difficulties, particularly REM sleep fragmentation, may mechanistically link to PTSD.
- REM sleep influences safety learning and threat-safety discrimination.
- Findings suggest a role for sleep in PTSD pathogenesis.
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