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Therapeutic affect reduction, emotion regulation, and emotional memory reconsolidation: A neuroscientific quandary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2015

Kevin S. LaBar*
Affiliation:
Duke University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0999. [email protected]://www.labaratory.org

Abstract

Lane et al. emphasize the role of emotional arousal as a precipitating factor for successful psychotherapy. However, as therapy ensues, the arousal diminishes. How can the unfolding therapeutic process generate long-term memories for reconsolidated emotional material without the benefit of arousal? Studies investigating memory for emotionally regulated material provide some clues regarding the neural pathways that may underlie therapy-based memory reconsolidation.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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