title: Think twice, it's all right: Long lasting effects of disrupted reconsolidation on brain and behavior in human long-term fear.
abstract: Memories can be modified when recalled. Experimental fear conditioning studies support that amygdala-localized fear memories are attenuated when reconsolidation is disrupted through extinction training immediately following memory activation. Recently, using functional brain imaging in individuals with lifelong spider fears, we demonstrated that fear memory activation followed by repeated exposure to feared cues after 10min, thereby disrupting reconsolidation, attenuated activity in the amygdala during later re-exposure, and also facilitated approach behavior to feared cues. In contrast, repeated exposure 6h after fear memory activation, allowing for reconsolidation, did not attenuate amygdala activity and resulted in less approach behavior as compared to the group that received disrupted reconsolidation. We here evaluated if these effects are stable after 6 months and found that amygdala activity was further reduced in both groups, with a tendency towards greater reductions in the 10min than the 6h group. Hence, disrupted reconsolidation results in long lasting attenuation of amygdala activity. The behavioral effect, with more approach towards previously feared cues, in the 10min than the 6h group also persisted. Thus, the brain effect of disrupted reconsolidation is stable over 6 months and the behavioral effect also remained. We therefore conclude that disrupted reconsolidation result in a long-lasting diminished fear memory representation in the amygdala which may have clinical importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Campus Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1A, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: johannes.bjorkstrand@psyk.uu.se.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Björkstrand
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Campus Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1A, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Agren
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Campus Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1A, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Åhs
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Campus Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1A, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences/Radiology, Section of Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elna-Marie
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Campus Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1A, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Olof
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hjorth
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Campus Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1A, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furmark
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Campus Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1A, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D000069077:Memory Consolidation / Q000502:physiology*; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Amygdala; Approach behavior; Exposure therapy; Extinction; Reconsolidation disruption; Spider fear