"Preventing fear return in humans: Music-based intervention during reac" by Ankita Verma, Sharmili Mitra et al.
 

Preventing fear return in humans: Music-based intervention during reactivation-extinction paradigm

Journal

PLoS One

Year

2024

Abstract

In several research studies, the reactivation extinction paradigm did not effectively prevent the return of fear if administered without any intervention technique. Therefore, in this study, the authors hypothesized that playing music (high valence, low arousal) during the reconsolidation window may be a viable intervention technique for eliminating fear-related responses. A three-day auditory differential fear conditioning paradigm was used to establish fear conditioning. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups, i.e., one control group, standard extinction (SE), and two experimental groups, reactivation extinction Group (RE) and music reactivation extinction (MRE), of twenty participants in each group. Day 1 included the habituation and fear acquisition phases; on Day 2 (after 24 hours), the intervention was conducted, and re-extinction took place on Day 3. Skin conductance responses were used as the primary outcome measure. Results indicated that the MRE group was more effective in reducing fear response than the RE and SE groups in the re-extinction phase. Furthermore, there was no significant difference observed between SE and RE groups. This is the first study known to demonstrate the effectiveness of music intervention in preventing the return of fear in a healthy individual. Therefore, it might also be employed as an intervention strategy (non-pharmacological approach) for military veterans, in emotion regulation, those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and those suffering from specific phobias.

Music and Health Institute Terms

Fear; Mental Health; Anxiety; Depression; Trauma; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Cognitive Abilities; Psychological Outcomes; Emotional Functioning; Music Medicine; Music Listening; Physiological Measures

Indexed Terms

Extinction, Psychological; Fear; Galvanic Skin Response; Phobic Disorders

Study Type

Randomized Controlled Trial; Quantitative Methods

PubMed ID

PMID: 38381711 PMCID: PMC10881010

Document Type

Article

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