Source Paper
Memory for Extinction of Conditioned Fear Is Long-lasting and Persists Following Spontaneous Recovery
Learning & Memory • 2002
Spontaneous Recovery Testing
Objective: To test for spontaneous recovery of conditioned freezing responses at various time delays after extinction training and to determine the persistence of extinction memory
This is a Spontaneous Recovery Testing protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 5 procedural steps, 1 equipment items. Extracted from a 2002 paper published in Learning & Memory.
Model and subjects
rat • not specified • unknown • not specified • not specified
Study window
~2 week study window
Core workflow
Auditory Fear Conditioning • Delay Between Conditioning and Extinction • Extinction Training
Primary readouts
- Conditioned freezing response to tone at each time delay
- Percentage of freezing recovery over time
- Rate of re-extinction (savings in extinction learning)
- Comparison between extinction and no-extinction control groups
Key equipment and reagents
Verified items
0
Direct vendor links
0
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Protocol Steps
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Auditory Fear Conditioning
Rats received 7 trials of auditory fear conditioning with tone paired with footshock
Note: Initial conditioning phase
View evidence from paper
“we gave rats 7 trials of auditory fear conditioning followed 1 h later by 20 extinction trials”
Delay Between Conditioning and Extinction
Wait 1 hour after conditioning before beginning extinction training
Note: Critical interval to test whether extinction interferes with conditioning consolidation
View evidence from paper
“we gave rats 7 trials of auditory fear conditioning followed 1 h later by 20 extinction trials”
Extinction Training
Rats received 20 extinction trials with tone presented in the absence of footshock
Note: Extinction involves formation of new memory rather than erasure of conditioning
View evidence from paper
“we gave rats 7 trials of auditory fear conditioning followed 1 h later by 20 extinction trials”
Spontaneous Recovery Testing at Multiple Time Points
Test rats for spontaneous recovery of conditioned freezing responses at delays of 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, or 14 days after extinction training
Note: Multiple delay intervals to track recovery trajectory over time
View evidence from paper
“tested for spontaneous recovery after a delay of 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, or 14 d”
Re-extinction Testing
Rats showing spontaneous recovery were tested for savings in their rate of re-extinction to assess persistence of extinction memory
Note: Measures whether extinction memory persists despite complete recovery of freezing
View evidence from paper
“rats showed savings in their rate of re-extinction, indicating persistence of extinction memory”