title: New learning following reactivation in the human brain: targeting emotional memories through rapid serial visual presentation.
abstract: Once reactivated, previously consolidated memories destabilize and have to be reconsolidated to persist, a process that might be altered non-invasively by interfering learning immediately after reactivation. Here, we investigated the influence of interference on brain correlates of reactivated episodic memories for emotional and neutral scenes using event-related potentials (ERPs). To selectively target emotional memories we applied a new reactivation method: rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). RSVP leads to enhanced implicit processing (pop out) of the most salient memories making them vulnerable to disruption. In line, interference after reactivation of previously encoded pictures disrupted recollection particularly for emotional events. Furthermore, memory impairments were reflected in a reduced centro-parietal ERP old/new difference during retrieval of emotional pictures. These results provide neural evidence that emotional episodic memories in humans can be selectively altered through behavioral interference after reactivation, a finding with further clinical implications for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Franz-Mehring-Str. 47, 17487 Greifswald, Germany. Electronic address: janine.wirkner@uni-greifswald.de.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wirkner
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Franz-Mehring-Str. 47, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Löw
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Franz-Mehring-Str. 47, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfons O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Greifswald, Franz-Mehring-Str. 47, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weymar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ERP; Emotion; Interference; Memory; Old/new effect; RSVP; Reconsolidation