title: Unconditioned stimulus revaluation to promote conditioned fear extinction in the memory reconsolidation window.
abstract: The retrieval-extinction paradigm, which disrupts the reconsolidation of fear memories in humans, is a non-invasive technique that can be used to prevent the return of fear in humans. In the present study, unconditioned stimulus revaluation was applied in the retrieval-extinction paradigm to investigate its promotion of conditioned fear extinction in the memory reconsolidation window after participants acquired conditioned fear. This experiment comprised three stages (acquisition, unconditioned stimulus revaluation, retrieval-extinction) and three methods for indexing fear (unconditioned stimulus expectancy, skin conductance response, conditioned stimulus pleasure rating). After the acquisition phase, we decreased the intensity of the unconditioned stimulus in one group (devaluation) and maintained constant for the other group (control). The results indicated that both groups exhibited similar levels of unconditioned stimulus expectancy, but the devaluation group had significantly smaller skin conductance responses and exhibited a growth in conditioned stimulus + pleasure. Thus, our findings indicate unconditioned stimulus revaluation effectively promoted the extinction of conditioned fear within the memory reconsolidation window.
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Health Service Centers in Communities, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Xing
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Health Service Centers in Communities, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Health Service Centers in Communities, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chu-Qun
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Health Service Centers in Communities, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Health Service Centers in Communities, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Lei
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Health Service Centers in Communities, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Fu
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000069077:Memory Consolidation / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult