Fear Extinction
Fear Extinction - Related Videos
11:17
Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
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Cited by 50 •
2012
Conditioned fear can be diminished through an inhibitory process called extinction, but can resurface under conditions such as the passage of time or exposure to stress. Our protocol presents a novel way of preventing fear recovery by introducing extinction during the reconsolidation window (the re-storage phase of a reactivated memory).
05:25
Extinction - Concepts
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2019
The History of Life on Earth Fossils of organisms that were different from anything alive today had been documented as early as the 17th century, but it was not until the early 19th century that scientists began to recognize that the successive layers of fossil bearing rocks were like successive pages in the history of life on earth. Although this recognition gave rise to the birth of the field of paleontology, the idea of complete global extinction of a species had yet to be fully accepted. At...
06:48
Extinction - Student Protocol
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2019
Diversity and Extinction during the Paleogene Epoch ExpandBegin this procedure by reading the extinction reading supplement that has been printed out for you. NOTE: Alternatively, you may download the reading supplement at the link below. Click here to download the extinction reading supplement Using the information contained in the extinction reading supplements pertaining to the taxa of interest and the Chicxulub impact event, make predictions for each taxon listed in Table 1. Consider...
00:49
Extinction - Instructor Prep
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2019
Diversity and Extinction during the Paleogene Epoch ExpandFirst, familiarize yourself with the extinction reading supplement for the background on what took place and where existing theories stand. Also, print out an appropriate number of copies to have one per student. Now make sure each lab computer has access to Microsoft Excel or an equivalent open source spreadsheet program. NOTE: The demonstrated procedure was performed with Excel but adjustments can be made to use other programs or...
06:46
Fear Conditioning
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2023
Fear Conditioning is a type of learning in which an association is established between a negative unpleasant event and a harmless stimulus. This leads to a fear of the harmless stimulus. This process is largely mediated by the amygdala, which is a brain region involved in emotions and stress reactions. Fear conditioning can be utilized in several ways to understand different aspects of learning and memory. This video presents an overview of the principles behind fear conditioning, discusses the...
FAQs
Extinction adds an inhibitory memory rather than removing the learned association between a cue and threat. The original fear memory can therefore remain available and compete with the newer memory. This distinction explains why a reduced response during extinction does not guarantee permanent loss of fear, especially when conditions favor retrieval of the original association.
These brain regions support different aspects of extinction-related regulation. The amygdala helps organize responses to emotionally significant cues, while the prefrontal cortex contributes to control over those responses. The hippocampus supplies contextual information, helping determine whether the inhibitory extinction memory should guide behavior in the current setting.
Context determines which memory is more likely to control responses to a previously threatening cue. Extinction learning is tied partly to the circumstances in which the cue is encountered without the aversive outcome. When the context changes, the original fear memory may become more influential, allowing fear to return even after successful extinction learning.
Fear can reappear when the original memory gains an advantage over the inhibitory extinction memory. Changes in context are one important factor because extinction does not simply eliminate the earlier association. This return of fear demonstrates that extinction produces flexible memory regulation rather than a permanent deletion, making memory conditions central to neuroscience research and treatment planning.
A common research approach presents a cue that has previously signaled an aversive outcome and then repeatedly presents that cue without the expected outcome. Investigators can examine whether responses decrease during this phase and whether they later return under different conditions. This design reveals how learning, memory competition, and contextual control shape fear behavior.
Exposure-based treatments draw on extinction principles by repeatedly encountering fear-related cues without the expected aversive outcome. The goal is to support a new inhibitory memory that can regulate responses to those cues. Because extinction is context-sensitive, studying the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and memory conditions may help researchers improve therapeutic outcomes.