Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory
Abstract Contextual overgeneralization of emotional memory is a core aspect of anxiety disorders. Identifying methods to enhance contextual dependency of emotional memory is therefore of significant clinical interest. Animal research points to a promising approach: reexposure to the context in which...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40982-0 |
| _version_ | 1797453262607089664 |
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| author | Wouter R. Cox Mandy Woelk Olivier T. de Vries Angelos-Miltiadis Krypotos Merel Kindt Iris M. Engelhard Dieuwke Sevenster Vanessa A. van Ast |
| author_facet | Wouter R. Cox Mandy Woelk Olivier T. de Vries Angelos-Miltiadis Krypotos Merel Kindt Iris M. Engelhard Dieuwke Sevenster Vanessa A. van Ast |
| author_sort | Wouter R. Cox |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Contextual overgeneralization of emotional memory is a core aspect of anxiety disorders. Identifying methods to enhance contextual dependency of emotional memory is therefore of significant clinical interest. Animal research points to a promising approach: reexposure to the context in which fear is acquired reduces generalization to other contexts. However, the exact conditions for this effect are unknown, complicating translation to effective interventions. Most notably, exposure to a context that resembles—but is not identical to—the learning context may diminish contextual dependency of memory by integration of additional contextual cues. Here, we therefore assessed in a large-scale study (N = 180) whether context reexposure enhances contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory whereas exposure to a similar context impairs it. We also tested whether relatively strong memory retrieval during context (re)exposure amplifies these effects. We replicated prior research showing that correct recognition depends on context and contextual dependency is lower for emotional than neutral memories. However, exposure to the encoding context or a similar context did not affect contextual dependency of memory, and retrieval strength did not interact with such effects. Thorough insight into factors underlying the effects of context (re)exposure on contextual dependency seems key to eventually attain a memory recontextualization intervention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:19:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-329decc649214fec9e47a0d45b2cc5aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:19:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-329decc649214fec9e47a0d45b2cc5aa2023-11-26T12:52:01ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-10-0113111510.1038/s41598-023-40982-0Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memoryWouter R. Cox0Mandy Woelk1Olivier T. de Vries2Angelos-Miltiadis Krypotos3Merel Kindt4Iris M. Engelhard5Dieuwke Sevenster6Vanessa A. van Ast7Department of Clinical Psychology, University of AmsterdamResearch Unit Behaviour, Health, and Psychopathology, KU LeuvenDepartment of Clinical Psychology, University of AmsterdamDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Clinical Psychology, University of AmsterdamDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Clinical Psychology, University of AmsterdamAbstract Contextual overgeneralization of emotional memory is a core aspect of anxiety disorders. Identifying methods to enhance contextual dependency of emotional memory is therefore of significant clinical interest. Animal research points to a promising approach: reexposure to the context in which fear is acquired reduces generalization to other contexts. However, the exact conditions for this effect are unknown, complicating translation to effective interventions. Most notably, exposure to a context that resembles—but is not identical to—the learning context may diminish contextual dependency of memory by integration of additional contextual cues. Here, we therefore assessed in a large-scale study (N = 180) whether context reexposure enhances contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory whereas exposure to a similar context impairs it. We also tested whether relatively strong memory retrieval during context (re)exposure amplifies these effects. We replicated prior research showing that correct recognition depends on context and contextual dependency is lower for emotional than neutral memories. However, exposure to the encoding context or a similar context did not affect contextual dependency of memory, and retrieval strength did not interact with such effects. Thorough insight into factors underlying the effects of context (re)exposure on contextual dependency seems key to eventually attain a memory recontextualization intervention.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40982-0 |
| spellingShingle | Wouter R. Cox Mandy Woelk Olivier T. de Vries Angelos-Miltiadis Krypotos Merel Kindt Iris M. Engelhard Dieuwke Sevenster Vanessa A. van Ast Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory Scientific Reports |
| title | Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory |
| title_full | Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory |
| title_fullStr | Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory |
| title_short | Context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory |
| title_sort | context reexposure to bolster contextual dependency of emotional episodic memory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40982-0 |
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