No persistent attenuation of fear memories in humans: A registered replication of the reactivation-extinction effect (Reactivation Group)
Abstract
It has been proposed that memory retrieval can destabilize consolidated memories, after which they need to be reconsolidated in order to be retained. The presentation of relevant information during memory reconsolidation could then result in the modification of a destabilized memory trace, by allowing the memory trace to be updated before being reconsolidated. In line with this idea, Schiller et al. (2010) have demonstrated that memory retrieval shortly before extinction training can prevent the later recovery of conditioned fear responding that is observed after regular extinction training. Those findings have been the subject of considerable controversy, due in part to theoretical reasons but also due to a number of failures to obtain similar results in conceptual replication attempts. Here, we report the results of a highly powered, direct, independent replication of the critical conditions of Schiller et al. (2010, Experiment 1). Due to misrepresentation of the exclusion criteria in the original Schiller et al. (2010) report, data collection was considerably delayed. When we eventually managed to attain our pre-registered sample size, we found that we could not observe any benefit of reactivation-extinction over regular extinction training in preventing recovery of conditioned fear. The results of the present study, along with the mixed findings in the literature and the misreporting in Schiller et al. (2010), give cause to question whether there is robust evidence that reactivation-extinction prevents the return of fear in humans.
Authors
Anastasia Chalkia, Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium Natalie Schoyens, Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium Lu Leng, Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium Niels Vanhasbroeck, Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium Ann-Kathrin Zenses, Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium Lukas Van Oudenhove, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies (LaBGAS), Translational Research Centre for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism, and Ageing, KU Leuven, Belgium Tom Beckers, Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium
Year
2020
DOI of Publication
Is Version of
Where was the data collected?
KU Leuven, Belgium
How to Cite
Chalkia, A., Schroyens, N., Leng, L., Vanhasbroeck, N., Zenses, A. K., Van Oudenhove, L., & Beckers, T. (2020). No persistent attenuation of fear memories in humans: A registered replication of the reactivation-extinction effect. Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior, 129, 496–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2020.04.017
Participant Information
Participant Age
Participant Sex
Experimental Group
"Reactivation" group: - one single, unreinforced CS+ trial before the start of the second session (reactivation trial) - extinction training (session 2) consisted of 10 unreinforced CS+ and 11 CS- trials
Stimuli
Drug Administration
NoConditioning Protocol
Instructions CS-US Contingencies
Number of Different US
US Modality
US Duration (ms)
Time Between CS and US Onset (ms)
Number of Different CS+
CS+ Duration (ms)
CS+ 1: Reinforcement Rate (%)
CS+ 2: Reinforcement Rate (%)
CS+ 3: Reinforcement Rate (%)
Number of Different CS-
CS- Duration (ms)
CS Modality
Data Collected During MRI
NoMeasures
skin conductance response
Amplitude of skin conductance response to stimulus.
US Intensity Rating
US intensity rating.
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
Fear of Pain Questionnaire - Short Form (FPQ-SF)
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| skin conductance response | Amplitude of skin conductance response to stimulus. | trialwise & untransformed |
| US Intensity Rating | US intensity rating. | |
| State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) | ||
| Fear of Pain Questionnaire - Short Form (FPQ-SF) |