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Postretrieval Extinction Attenuates Alcohol Cue Reactivity in Rats
Author(s) -
Cofresí Roberto U.,
Lewis Suzanne M.,
Chaudhri Nadia,
Lee Hongjoo J.,
Monfils MarieH.,
Gonzales Rueben A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.13323
Subject(s) - extinction (optical mineralogy) , alcohol , cue reactivity , spontaneous recovery , psychology , alcohol use disorder , reactivity (psychology) , medicine , neuroscience , chemistry , addiction , craving , biochemistry , mineralogy , alternative medicine , pathology
Background Conditioned responses to alcohol‐associated cues can hinder recovery from alcohol use disorder ( AUD ). Cue exposure (extinction) therapy ( CET ) can reduce reactivity to alcohol cues, but its efficacy is limited by phenomena such as spontaneous recovery and reinstatement that can cause a return of conditioned responding after extinction. Using a preclinical model of alcohol cue reactivity in rats, we evaluated whether the efficacy of alcohol CET could be improved by conducting CET during the memory reconsolidation window after retrieval of cue‐alcohol associations. Methods Rats were provided with intermittent access to unsweetened alcohol. Rats were then trained to predict alcohol access based on a visual cue. Next, rats were treated with either standard extinction ( n = 14) or postretrieval extinction ( n = 13). Rats were then tested for long‐term memory of extinction and susceptibility to spontaneous recovery and reinstatement. Results Despite equivalent extinction, rats treated with postretrieval extinction exhibited reduced spontaneous recovery and reinstatement relative to rats treated with standard extinction. Conclusions Postretrieval CET shows promise for persistently attenuating the risk to relapse posed by alcohol cues in individuals with AUD .