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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
11:17
Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
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Amount of fear extinction changes its underlying mechanisms
Bobae An1,2, Jihye Kim1, Kyungjoon Park1
1School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Elife
|July 4, 2017
Summary
Fear memory is not erased but inhibited during early extinction training. Repeated training shifts the mechanism to memory erasure, suggesting distinct phases in fear memory processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Memory Research
Background:
- The fate of original fear memory after extinction remains debated, with theories suggesting either inhibition or erasure.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective treatments for fear-related disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct roles of inhibition and erasure mechanisms in fear memory during different phases of extinction training.
- To explore the neural substrates in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala involved in these processes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized single-session and multiple-session extinction training paradigms in rat models.
- Examined the prevalence of inhibition and erasure mechanisms across training phases.
- Assessed the impact of ablating amygdala intercalated neurons on extinction recall.
Main Results:
- Inhibition was prominent in single-session extinction but diminished with repeated training.
- Erasure mechanisms became more prevalent following multiple-session extinction training.
- Ablation of amygdala intercalated neurons lost efficacy in multiple-session extinction, indicating a shift in underlying mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Fear memory extinction involves distinct phases, with inhibition dominating early training and erasure becoming prominent with repetition.
- These findings suggest a dynamic shift in neural mechanisms underlying fear memory modification over time.
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