Memory Reactivation & Cognitive Restructuring
Project Title: Examining behavioral and neurobiological impact of memory reactivation and cognitive restructuring on episodic threat memories
Project Description: This study examines the question of whether memory reactivation followed by cognitive restructuring (during the putative reconsolidation window) can update episodic threat memories, diminish negative evaluations, and attenuate threat responses. Many studies have attempted to interfere with the reconsolidation of threat memories via delivering extinction during the reconsolidation window (e.g., Schiller et al., 2010). However, there have been difficulties replicating this effect and difficulties translating this work to the clinic (for review, Walsh et al., 2018). Additionally, this strategy may not be effective for episodic memories of threatening events (Kroes et al., 2017).
Outside of the threat-conditioning literature, a number of studies have investigated strategies to interfere with the reconsolidation of episodic memories – in some cases strengthening, and in other cases weakening or updating episodic memories with new information (for review, Scully et al., 2017). Episodic memory reactivation followed by new learning reliably increases the number of intrusions from new information into the original episodic memory (i.e., memory updating; Scully et al., 2017). Cognitive restructuring is an effective clinical intervention used in cognitive behavioral therapy to change thoughts and develop more rational and helpful interpretations of events (Kazantzis et al., 2018). Cognitive restructuring of thoughts about fear conditioning procedures has been shown to reduce experiential and autonomic fear responses in the laboratory (Riao et al., 2013; Shurick et al., 2012). Cognitive restructuring administered during the reconsolidation window may help update episodic threat memories with new information regarding safety, further reducing experiential and autonomic fear responses, and leading to more positive evaluations of previously threatening stimuli.
Pre-Registration: https://osf.io/afdq5
