Over the Edge: Extending the duration of a reconsolidation intervention for spider fear

Pharmacologically disrupting fear memory reconsolidation effectively reduces fear behavior. A previous study showed that a brief tarantula exposure (2-3 minutes) followed by propranolol significantly decreased spider avoidance, an effect lasting a year. However, the reconsolidation window is narrow and easily missed. This pre-registered study investigated the duration of exposure needed to trigger reconsolidation versus an inactive 'limbo' state. Participants underwent either a ~3-minute or ~14-minute tarantula exposure, followed by propranolol. Contrary to expectations, both groups showed significant reductions in spider fear, persisting for one year. This suggests that reconsolidation boundaries may be broader for strong, existing memories than for experimentally induced fears, or that alternative mechanisms are at play. While the mechanism remains unclear, the results demonstrate the potential of brief reconsolidation-targeting interventions for reducing irrational fears.

Anna I. Filmer, Jacqueline Peters, Lara A. Bridge, Renée M. Visser, Merel Kindt