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Updated: Nov 6, 2025

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
Response patterns for individuals receiving contingent skin shock aversion intervention to treat violent
Golnaz Yadollahikhales1, Nathan Blenkush2, Miles Cunningham3
1Neurology, University of Illinois Hospital at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract:
A small proportion of patients with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit extraordinarily dangerous self-injurious and assaultive behaviours that persist despite long-term multidisciplinary interventions. These uncontrolled behaviours result in physical and emotional trauma to the patients, care providers and family members. A graduated electronic decelerator (GED) is an aversive therapy device that has been shown to reduce the frequency of severe problem behaviours by 97%. Within a cohort of 173 patients, we have identified the four most common patterns of response: (1) on removal of GED, behaviours immediately return, and GED is reinstated; (2) GED is removed for periods of time (faded) and reinstated if and when behaviours return; (3) a low frequency of GED applications maintains very low rates of problem behaviours; and (4) GED is removed permanently after cessation of problem behaviours. GED is intended as a therapeutic option only for violent, treatment-resistant patients with ID and ASD.
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