Investigation of early night sleep effects on subsequent fear extinction learning and recall. Issue 2 (15th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Friesen, Edith; Sopp, M. Roxanne; Brueckner, Alexandra H.; Ferreira de Sá, Diana; Michael, Tanja
• Is Part Of: Journal of experimental psychopathology. Volume 13:Issue 2(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-04-15
• Subjects: Fear conditioning -- extinction -- memory -- trauma -- posttraumatic stress disorder -- sleep -- slow wave sleep -- rapid eye movement sleep -- sleep-dependent learning; Psychology, Pathological -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1177/20438087221090350
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2043-8087

Abstract

Extinction learning is considered an important underlying process of successful treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, sleep disturbances may impede this learning process: Current accounts postulate that sleep facilitates encoding by promoting neural plasticity during slow wave sleep (SWS). Based on this hypothesis, we tested whether early night sleep, with high amounts of SWS, facilitates subsequent extinction learning and recall. Sixty-three participants took part in a trauma-adapted fear conditioning experiment. One group received a three-hour sleep opportunity in the early night half, whereas the other group stayed awake. Thereafter, both groups underwent extinction training and a return-of-fear test. Retention was assessed after another sleep opportunity in both groups. Linear mixed-effects models and Bayesian inference did not support the hypothesis of strengthened fear extinction by prior early night sleep. Subsequent exploratory analyses, in contrast, point to a role of rapid eye movement sleep in promoting successful fear extinction learning. Further confirmatory research should re-investigate these effects and their implications for the treatment of PTSD.