Open AccessTranscranial direct current stimulation may modulate extinction memory in posttraumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Wout Mascha,
Longo Sharon M.,
Reddy Madhavi K.,
Philip Noah S.,
Bowker Marguerite T.,
Greenberg Benjamin D.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.681
Subject(s) - transcranial direct current stimulation , extinction (optical mineralogy) , psychology , ventromedial prefrontal cortex , recall , exposure therapy , posttraumatic stress , audiology , prefrontal cortex , neuroscience , stimulation , developmental psychology , medicine , clinical psychology , cognitive psychology , cognition , anxiety , psychiatry , paleontology , biology
Background Abnormalities in fear extinction and recall are core components of posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ). Data from animal and human studies point to a role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vm PFC ) in extinction learning and subsequent retention of extinction memories. Given the increasing interest in developing noninvasive brain stimulation protocols for psychopathology treatment, we piloted whether transcranial direct current stimulation ( tDCS ) during extinction learning, vs. during consolidation of extinction learning, might improve extinction recall in veterans with warzone‐related PTSD . Methods Twenty‐eight veterans with PTSD completed a 2‐day Pavlovian fear conditioning, extinction, and recall paradigm. Participants received one 10‐min session of 2 mA anodal tDCS over AF 3, intended to target the vm PFC . Fourteen received tDCS that started simultaneously with extinction learning onset, and the remaining 14 participants received tDCS during extinction consolidation. Normalized skin conductance reactivity ( SCR ) was the primary outcome measure. Linear mixed effects models were used to test for effects of tDCS on late extinction and early extinction recall 24 hr later. Results During early recall, veterans who received tDCS during extinction consolidation showed slightly lower SCR in response to previously extinguished stimuli as compared to veterans who received tDCS simultaneous with extinction learning ( p = .08), generating a medium effect size (Cohen's d = .38). There was no significant effect of tDCS on SCR during late extinction. Conclusions These preliminary findings suggest that testing the effects of tDCS during consolidation of fear extinction may have promise as a way of enhancing extinction recall.