Modulating reconsolidation and extinction to regulate drug reward memory

Abstract

Drug addiction is an aberrant memory that shares the same memory processes as other memories. Brief exposure to drug-associated cues could result in reconsolidation, a hypothetical process during which original memory could be updated. In contrast, longer exposure times to drug-associated cues could trigger extinction, a process that decreases the conditioned responding. In this review, we discuss the pharmacological and non-pharmacological manipulations on the reconsolidation and extinction that could be used to interfere with drug reward memories. Pharmacological agents such as β-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol can interfere with reconsolidation to disrupt drug reward memory. Pharmacological agents such as the NMDA receptor glycine site agonists d-cycloserine and d-serine can facilitate extinction and then attenuate the expression of drug reward memory. Besides pharmacological interventions, drug-free behavioral approaches by utilizing the reconsolidation and extinction, such as 'post-retrieval extinction' and 'UCS-retrieval extinction', are also effective to erase or inhibit the recall of drug reward memory. Taken together, pharmacological modulation and non-pharmacological modulation of reconsolidation and extinction are promising approaches to regulate drug reward memory and prevent relapse.

Keywords: drug addiction; drug reward memory; extinction; reconsolidation; relapse.

Figure 1.. Representative figure to show the reconsolidation and extinction of drug reward memory.

Drug reward memory could enter into the reconsolidation and extinction after re-exposure to the CS. The UCS could also trigger the reconsolidation of memory. During the reconsolidation, memory could be updated, modified, or erased by interventions. Extinction could inhibit the expression of memory. Behavioral strategies such as “post-retrieval extinction” and “UCS-retrieval extinction” are effective to disrupt drug reward memory. CS, conditioned stimulus; UCS, unconditioned stimulus.