While researchers have traditionally seen long-term memory as fixed and resistant, it is now becoming clear that memory is, in fact, dynamic and flexible. As a result, the act of remembering makes the memory vulnerable until it is stored again—a process called reconsolidation. During this instability period, new information could be incorporated into the old memory. This was the phase during which researchers at New York University sought to employ a technique to block the return of fear memories.

NYU (US)—Researchers have developed a non-invasive technique to block the return of fear memories in humans. The technique could lead to new ways to treat anxiety disorders.

Fear memories are expressed as the body’s emotional reaction to objects or events previously linked to potential danger. It is known that, over time, such emotional responses could dissipate in a process called extinction in which the same event is experienced in a safe environment.

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