Neuroengineering - The Future is Now (Daniela Schiller, PhD)

The present findings suggest a new technique to target specific fear memories and prevent the return of fear after extinction training. Using two recovery assays, we demonstrated that extinction conducted during the reconsolidation window of an old fear memory prevented the spontaneous recovery or the reinstatement of fear responses, an effect that was maintained a year later. Moreover, this manipulation selectively affected only the reactivated conditioned
stimulus while leaving fear memory to the other non-reactivated conditioned stimulus intact.

It has been suggested that the adaptive function of reconsolidation is to allow old memories to be updated each time they are retrieved. In other words, our memory reflects our last retrieval of it rather than an exact account of the original event.

Daniela Schiller, Associate Professor, Mount Sinai Hospital on groundbreaking research on memory , and whether we might enable us to block highly traumatic memories.

Here is a good article on this same subject published in New Yorker by Daniela Schiller:  http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/05/19/partial-recall