Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in mice
Fear conditioning is one of the most frequently used laboratory procedures for modeling learning and memory generally, and anxiety disorders in particular. The conditional response (CR) used in the majority of fear conditioning studies in rodents is freezing. Recently, it has been reported that unde...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2022-05-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/75663 |
| _version_ | 1818018393310101504 |
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| author | Jeremy M Trott Ann N Hoffman Irina Zhuravka Michael S Fanselow |
| author_facet | Jeremy M Trott Ann N Hoffman Irina Zhuravka Michael S Fanselow |
| author_sort | Jeremy M Trott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fear conditioning is one of the most frequently used laboratory procedures for modeling learning and memory generally, and anxiety disorders in particular. The conditional response (CR) used in the majority of fear conditioning studies in rodents is freezing. Recently, it has been reported that under certain conditions, running, jumping, or darting replaces freezing as the dominant CR. These findings raise both a critical methodological problem and an important theoretical issue. If only freezing is measured but rodents express their learning with a different response, then significant instances of learning, memory, or fear may be missed. In terms of theory, whatever conditions lead to these different behaviors may be a key to how animals transition between different defensive responses and different emotional states. In mice, we replicated these past results but along with several novel control conditions. Contrary to the prior conclusions, running and darting were primarily a result of nonassociative processes and were actually suppressed by associative learning. Darting and flight were taken to be analogous to nonassociative startle or alpha responses that are potentiated by fear. Additionally, associative processes had some impact on the topography of flight behavior. On the other hand, freezing was the purest reflection of associative learning. We also uncovered a rule that describes when these movements replace freezing: when afraid, freeze until there is a sudden novel change in stimulation, then burst into vigorous flight attempts. This rule may also govern the change from fear to panic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:38:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8f7f6204c9f349cd96cd0b50cb9518c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T07:38:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f7f6204c9f349cd96cd0b50cb9518c02022-12-22T02:05:34ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2022-05-011110.7554/eLife.75663Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in miceJeremy M Trott0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7875-3446Ann N Hoffman1Irina Zhuravka2Michael S Fanselow3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3850-5966Staglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United StatesStaglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United StatesStaglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United StatesStaglin Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United StatesFear conditioning is one of the most frequently used laboratory procedures for modeling learning and memory generally, and anxiety disorders in particular. The conditional response (CR) used in the majority of fear conditioning studies in rodents is freezing. Recently, it has been reported that under certain conditions, running, jumping, or darting replaces freezing as the dominant CR. These findings raise both a critical methodological problem and an important theoretical issue. If only freezing is measured but rodents express their learning with a different response, then significant instances of learning, memory, or fear may be missed. In terms of theory, whatever conditions lead to these different behaviors may be a key to how animals transition between different defensive responses and different emotional states. In mice, we replicated these past results but along with several novel control conditions. Contrary to the prior conclusions, running and darting were primarily a result of nonassociative processes and were actually suppressed by associative learning. Darting and flight were taken to be analogous to nonassociative startle or alpha responses that are potentiated by fear. Additionally, associative processes had some impact on the topography of flight behavior. On the other hand, freezing was the purest reflection of associative learning. We also uncovered a rule that describes when these movements replace freezing: when afraid, freeze until there is a sudden novel change in stimulation, then burst into vigorous flight attempts. This rule may also govern the change from fear to panic.https://elifesciences.org/articles/75663mousedefensive behaviorfear conditioningdartinglearningmemory |
| spellingShingle | Jeremy M Trott Ann N Hoffman Irina Zhuravka Michael S Fanselow Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in mice eLife mouse defensive behavior fear conditioning darting learning memory |
| title | Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in mice |
| title_full | Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in mice |
| title_fullStr | Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in mice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in mice |
| title_short | Conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing, flight and darting in mice |
| title_sort | conditional and unconditional components of aversively motivated freezing flight and darting in mice |
| topic | mouse defensive behavior fear conditioning darting learning memory |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/75663 |
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