Immediate Pre-Learning Stress Enhances Baseline Startle Response and Fear Acquisition in a Fear-Potentiated Startle Paradigm.

Immediate Pre-Learning Stress Enhances Baseline Startle Response and Fear Acquisition in a Fear-Potentiated Startle Paradigm. Behav Brain Res. 2019 May 27;:111980 Authors: Riggenbach MR, Weiser JN, Mosley BE, Hipskind JJ, Wireman LE, Hess KL, Duffy TJ, Handel JK, Kaschalk MG, Reneau KE, Rorabaugh BR, Norrholm SD, Jovanovic T, Zoladz PR Abstract Extensive work has shown that stress time-dependently influences hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. In particular, stress that is administered immediately before learning enhances long-term memory, while stress that is temporally separated from learning impairs long-term memory. We have extended these findings by examining the impact of immediate, pre-learning stress on an amygdala-dependent fear conditioning task. One hundred and forty-one healthy participants underwent a stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or control manipulation immediately before completing differential fear conditioning in a fear-potentiated startle paradigm. Participants then completed extinction and extinction memory testing sessions 24 and 48 h later, respectively. Stress administered immediately before acquisition increased baseline startle responses and enhanced fear learning, as evidenced by greater fear-potentiated startle to the CS + . Although no group differences were observed during extinction training on Day 2, stressed participants exhibited evidence of impaired extinction processes on...
Source: Behavioural Brain Research - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Behav Brain Res Source Type: research