This video explains some of the remarkable work of Merel Kindt, a therapist and memory researcher. Dr. Kindt uses the drug propranolol, which interferes with the reconsolidation of the fear aspect of a memory, though it does not prevent the person from feeling fear during the training session nor does it interfere with the person’s memory for the events that occurred. In the video, she works with a person terrified of cats and another who fears spiders.

As you can see from the video, therapists can now use the new insights coming from research on memory reconsolidation to help in their treatment of people with disorders that include memory dysfunctions.

A 2010 study published in the journal Nature showed that reconsolidation therapy was effective in reducing anxiety responses in people with phobias. In the study, participants were exposed to a fear-inducing stimulus (in this case, a spider) while taking beta-blockers, which interfere with the memory retrieval process. Compared with participants who received a placebo, those who received the beta-blockers showed a significantly reduced fear response when re-exposed to the spider a few days later.^[1]

Another study, published in 2017 in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, looked at the use of reconsolidation therapy in the treatment of anxiety related to public speaking, but found that those who received propranolol did not differ significantly from the placebo group.^[2]

A 2021 study revealed that memory reconsolidation can be an effective treatment for PTSD, though more research is needed to verify the reliability of the research.^[3]