Evidences show that fear memories can be reduced during sleep

As per a new research conducted at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shows that fear memory can be reduced by exposing people to memory over and over again while they are sleeping. Through this one can manipulate with one’s emotional memories. Through this medical practitioners can alter their fear memory. This is one of common treatments for any kind of phobia. This can help the patient to overcome many bad and fearful memories. The researcher Katherina Hauner, a postdoctoral fellow in neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine explains that, “It's a novel finding. We showed a small but significant decrease in fear. If it can be extended to pre-existing fear, the bigger picture is that, perhaps, the treatment of phobias can be enhanced during sleep. While this particular odorant was being presented during sleep, it was reactivating the memory of that face over and over again which is similar to the process of fear extinction during exposure therapy.”