• Threat conditioning
• Emotional memory
• TMS
• dlPFC
• mPFC
• Threat generalization

The experimental research described investigates the effects of an rTMS protocol targeting the human mPFC on the expression of a threat memory formed during a threat conditioning paradigm, and on the threat generalization process. The designed protocol required 3 sessions: the conditioning session, during which the participants were subjected to an auditory cue threat conditioning, the test session, during which the participants underwent the 1 Hz-rTMS protocol and either implicit or explicit memory tests, and the follow-up session to evaluate long-lasting effects through the same memory tests. The results highlight different effects on the implicit compared to the explicit responses, and underline the rTMS potential to hinder threat generalization and attenuate the defensive responses to a learned threat.