Face your fears: attenuating remote fear memories by reconsolidation-updating

Abstract

Traumatic events generate some of the most enduring memories, yet little is known about how long-lasting fear memories can be attenuated. In this review, we collect the surprisingly sparse evidence on remote fear memory attenuation from both animal and human research. What is becoming apparent is twofold: although remote fear memories are more resistant to change compared with recent ones, they can nevertheless be attenuated when interventions are targeted toward the period of memory malleability instigated by memory recall, the reconsolidation window. We describe the physiological mechanisms underlying remote reconsolidation-updating approaches and highlight how they can be enhanced through interventions promoting synaptic plasticity. By capitalizing on an intrinsically relevant phase of memory, reconsolidation-updating harbors the potential to permanently alter remote fear memories.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{silva2026face,
  title = {{Face your fears: attenuating remote fear memories by reconsolidation-updating}},
  author = {Bianca A Silva and Johannes Gräff},
  journal = {Trends in Cognitive Sciences},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.tics.2023.01.004},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05779310v1},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Face your fears: attenuating remote fear memories by reconsolidation-updating
AU  - Bianca A Silva
AU  - Johannes Gräff
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
JO  - Trends in Cognitive Sciences
DO  - 10.1016/j.tics.2023.01.004
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05779310v1
AB  - Traumatic events generate some of the most enduring memories, yet little is known about how long-lasting fear memories can be attenuated. In this review, we collect the surprisingly sparse evidence on remote fear memory attenuation from both animal and human research. What is becoming apparent is twofold: although remote fear memories are more resistant to change compared with recent ones, they can nevertheless be attenuated when interventions are targeted toward the period of memory malleability instigated by memory recall, the reconsolidation window. We describe the physiological mechanisms underlying remote reconsolidation-updating approaches and highlight how they can be enhanced through interventions promoting synaptic plasticity. By capitalizing on an intrinsically relevant phase of memory, reconsolidation-updating harbors the potential to permanently alter remote fear memories.
SN  - 1364-6613
SN  - 1879-307X
ER  -

Abstract

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