Researchers are hoping new techniques will weaken the fear response for a longer period, or perhaps permanently. The trick, they say, is to administer the treatment after the original memory has been retrieved from storage so the updated memory will be saved. One way of doing this is to have the subject write a detailed account of the original incident and reread it at the start of each treatment session.

研究者希望，新技術可以在更長時間內甚至可能永久地弱化恐懼反應。他們表示，訣竅在于，在大腦中喚醒了最初的記憶之后馬上開展治療，這樣大腦中就會存下更新后的記憶。有一種方法是，讓患者寫下對于事件的詳盡記憶，每次治療開始的時候讓他重讀這段文字。