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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

A Dopaminergic Basis for Fear Extinction.

Raffael Kalisch¹, Anna M V Gerlicher², Sevil Duvarci³

¹Deutsches Resilienz Zentrum (DRZ), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany; Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

|February 27, 2019

Summary

Relief from fear is enhanced when expected negative events do not occur. This process, known as fear extinction, is driven by the positive nature of the omitted event, with dopamine playing a key role.

Keywords:

consolidation fear conditioning memory prediction error reinforcement learning reward

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Fear extinction is a crucial learning process for overcoming phobias and trauma.
The role of the appetitive (rewarding) nature of omitted aversive events in fear reduction is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying fear extinction, specifically focusing on the role of dopamine.
To understand how the appetitive properties of omitted aversive events contribute to fear memory modification.

Main Methods:

Utilized established fear conditioning and extinction paradigms in animal models.
Employed neurochemical and behavioral analyses to assess dopamine's involvement.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that the appetitive nature of an omitted aversive event significantly reduces fear responses.
Identified dopamine as a critical neurobiological mediator facilitating both fear reduction and the consolidation of extinction memories.

Conclusions:

The rewarding aspect of an omitted threat is a primary driver of effective fear extinction.
Dopamine signaling is essential for leveraging this appetitive information to update fear memories and promote long-term behavioral change.