Postretrieval Extinction Attenuates Alcohol Cue Reactivity in Rats.
Conditioned responses to alcohol-associated cues can hinder recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Cue exposure (extinction) therapy (CET) can reduce reactivity to alcohol cues, but its efficacy is limited by phenomena such as spontaneous recovery and reinstatement that can cause a return of conditioned responding after extinction. Using a preclinical model of alcohol cue reactivity in rats, we evaluated whether the efficacy of alcohol CET could be improved by conducting CET during the memory reconsolidation window after retrieval of cue-alcohol associations.



Rats were provided with intermittent access to unsweetened alcohol. Rats were then trained to predict alcohol access based on a visual cue. Next, rats were treated with either standard extinction (n = 14) or postretrieval extinction (n = 13). Rats were then tested for long-term memory of extinction and susceptibility to spontaneous recovery and reinstatement.



Despite equivalent extinction, rats treated with postretrieval extinction exhibited reduced spontaneous recovery and reinstatement relative to rats treated with standard extinction.



Postretrieval CET shows promise for persistently attenuating the risk to relapse posed by alcohol cues in individuals with AUD.
Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Roberto U
RU
Cofresí
Department of Psychology, The University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Suzanne M
SM
Lewis
Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nadia
N
Chaudhri
Department of Psychology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Hongjoo J
HJ
Lee
Department of Psychology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Marie-H
MH
Monfils
Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Rueben A
RA
Gonzales
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D003463:Cues; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans
D000431:Ethanol
Alcohol Cue; Exposure Therapy; Reconsolidation; Relapse; Retrieval