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Cited by 115Memory and Neural MechanismsStress Responses and CortisolNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Chronic stress alters neural activity in medial prefrontal cortex during retrieval of extinction

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Wilber, A.A., Walker, A.G., Southwood, C.J., Farrell, M.R., Lin, G.L., Rebec, G.V., Wellman, C.L.·2011·Neuroscience
DOI 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.10.070PMC PMC3020264
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Abstract

Chronic restraint stress produces morphological changes in medial prefrontal cortex and disrupts a prefrontally mediated behavior, retrieval of extinction. To assess potential physiological correlates of these alterations, we compared neural activity in infralimbic and prelimbic cortex of unstressed versus stressed rats during fear conditioning and extinction. After implantation of microwire bundles into infralimbic or prelimbic cortex, rats were either unstressed or stressed via placement in a plastic restrainer (3 h/day for 1 week). Rats then underwent fear conditioning and extinction while activity of neurons in infralimbic or prelimbic cortex was recorded. Percent freezing and neural activity were assessed during all phases of training. Chronic stress enhanced freezing during acquisition of conditioned fear, and altered both prelimbic and infralimbic activity during this phase. Stress did not alter initial extinction or conditioned stimulus (CS)-related activity during this phase. However, stress impaired retrieval of extinction assessed 24 h later, and this was accompanied by alterations in neuronal activity in both prelimbic and infralimbic cortex. In prelimbic cortex, unstressed rats showed decreased activity in response to CS presentation, whereas stressed rats showed no change. In infralimbic cortex, neurons in unstressed rats exhibited increased firing in response to the CS, whereas stressed rats showed no increase in infralimbic firing during the tone. Finally, CS-related firing in infralimbic but not prelimbic cortex was correlated with extinction retrieval. Thus, the stress-induced alteration of neuronal activity in infralimbic cortex may be responsible for the stress-induced deficit in retrieval of extinction.

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  • One consequence of stress-related PFC impairment is enhanced threat learning and impaired extinction retention in rodent models.

    “One consequence of stress-related PFC impairment is enhanced threat learning and impaired extinction retention in rodent models [66, 70].”

    From Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: implications for PTSD (2022) · cites this paper as [70]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports increased freezing during fear-conditioning acquisition, impaired extinction retrieval 24 hours later, and altered medial PFC activity in stressed rats. But it says the increased freezing may reflect expression rather than enhanced learning, and it does not establish PFC impairment as the cause of both behavioral effects. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Chronic stress impacts neural activity in both PL and IL cortex and leads to structural changes in IL cortex.

    “In rodents, chronic stress also impacts neural activity in both PL and IL cortex [70] and leads to structural changes in IL cortex [71].”

    From Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: implications for PTSD (2022) · cites this paper as [70]

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Authors
Wilber, A. A., Walker, A. G., Southwood, C. J., Farrell, M. R., Lin, G. L., Rebec, G. V., & Wellman, C. L.
Affiliations
Indiana University Bloomington (US)
Corresponding author
Wellman, C.L.
ORCID
Venue
Neuroscience
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-02
Volume
174
Pages
115-131
ISSN
0306-4522 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.10.070
PMC
PMC3020264
OpenAlex
W2039543325
Semantic Scholar
ec3c2ff6cfebae04751b5903c47df5b3116789fa
Cited by
115
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 10
FWCI
5.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Public Health Service (MHR03087794)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH085415, R03MH087794)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (F31NS066603, F31NS064791)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
chronic restraint stress, medial prefrontal cortex, infralimbic cortex, prelimbic cortex, extinction retrieval, fear extinction, fear conditioning, neuronal firing, conditioned stimulus, neuronal activity
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Animals, Conditioning, Operant, Extinction, Psychological, Fear, Male, Neurons, Restraint, Physical, Stress, Psychological, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Prefrontal Cortex, Rats

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