Introduction Extinction is more vulnerable than the original acquisition memory, as relapse phenomena have systematically
shown in the literature with different species and procedures. One strategy potentially useful to mitigate relapse is occasional
reinforced extinction (ORE). In contrast to a standard extinction procedure, this strategy consists of the inclusion of a gradual
and sparse number of conditioned stimulus–unconditioned stimulus pairings within the extinction phase. Here, we provide
a comprehensive review of the available literature on ORE.
Method We conducted a literature search using three databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycInfo) in July 2022, with
an additional citation search. We collected data on different variables of interest, like the relapse phenomena being studied,
the outcome measures, or the specific effects obtained.
Results A total of 350 studies were identified from the main database search, including 10 in the review. Five additional studies
from the citation search were also included. The final sample consisted of 15 empirical reports. The observed procedural
variability makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of ORE to reduce different forms of relapse as the strategy has not
consistently shown a general advantage over standard extinction.
Conclusion The current evidence assessing the effectiveness of ORE does not appear to be consistent, although there are
plenty theoretical studies recommending and discussing the potential effectiveness of such technique. Moreover, the lack of
conclusive laboratory evidence calls into question how general the potential benefits of its use in clinical settings would be.
