title: Emotion causes targeted forgetting of established memories.
abstract: Reconsolidation postulates that reactivation of a memory trace renders it susceptible to disruption by treatments similar to those that impair initial memory consolidation. Despite evidence that implicit, or non-declarative, human memories can be disrupted at retrieval, a convincing demonstration of selective impairment in retrieval of target episodic memories following reactivation is lacking. In human subjects, we demonstrate that if reactivation of a verbal memory, through successful retrieval, is immediately followed by an emotionally aversive stimulus, a significant impairment is evident in its later recall. This effect is time-dependent and persists for at least 6 days. Thus, in line with a reconsolidation hypothesis, established human episodic memories can be selectively impaired following their retrieval.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology London, UK.
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Strange
authors.forename: Marijn C W
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kroes
authors.forename: Judith E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Raymond J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dolan