Glucocorticoids enhance extinction-based psychotherapy

Behavioral exposure therapy of anxiety disorders is believed to rely on fear extinction. Because glucocorticoids can promote extinction processes, the authors studied whether cortisol augmented exposure therapy in patients with phobia for heights. Adding cortisol to exposure therapy resulted in a significantly greater reduction in fear of heights as measured with the acrophobia questionnaire. Subjects receiving cortisol also showed a significantly greater reduction in acute anxiety during virtual exposure to a phobic situation at post-treatment and a significantly smaller exposure-induced increase in skin conductance at follow-up. The present findings suggest that the administration of cortisol can enhance extinction-based psychotherapy.

de Quervain, Dominique J.-F. et al., Glucocorticoids enhance extinction-based psychotherapy.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA [ Epub ahead of print, March 28, 2011, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1018214108 ]

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/03/14/1018214108.abstract