Encoding or consolidation? The effects of pre- and post-learning propranolol on the impact of an emotional scene.

Background And Objectives: Researchers have conceived of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a disorder of memory, and proposed that blocking the impact of stress-related noradrenaline release in the aftermath of trauma may be a way of preventing the 'over-consolidation' of trauma-related memories. Experimental research in humans has been limited by typically focusing on declarative memory for emotional stories, and has mainly given propranolol before learning. In contrast, the clinical studies that we comprehensively review are hampered by practical challenges, such as reliably administering propranolol in a time window sufficiently close to the traumatic event.