Research progress in reconsolidation-based interventions for aversive memories / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Aversive memories are the core pathology of many psychiatric disorders (such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression), often impeding clinical treatment, which requires validated interventions. Animal researches and preclinical human studies have shown that memories are vulnerable after retrieval due to a memory process known as the memory reconsolidation mechanism, and that interventions during this process can potentially rewrite or update memories. The discovery of the reconsolidation mechanism has sparked a wave of research interest in its potential to rewrite aversive memories. This article presents a brief research history and advances in reconsolidation-based interventions, including pharmacological, non-invasive brain stimulation and behavioral interventions, as well as the biological mechanisms of reconsolidation. It is noted that pharmacological, behavioral and non-invasive brain stimulation interventions are all potential approaches for reconsolidation intervention, with propranolol, extinction/exposure therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation being relatively effective. It is important to consider the differences between laboratory and clinical studies in future clinical translational research, and to overcome the " boundary conditions" of reconsolidation-based intervention in clinical applications, such as duration of memory retrieval, age of memory, individual differences, and so on, which may affect its efficacy.