PreprintCited by 47Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Genetic background differences and nonassociative effects in mouse trace fear conditioning.

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Smith, Dani R., Gallagher, Michela, Stanton, Mark E.·2007·Learning & Memory

Abstract

Fear conditioning, including variants such as delay and trace conditioning that depend on different neural systems, is widely used to behaviorally characterize genetically altered mice. We present data from three strains of mice, C57/BL6 (C57), 129/SvlmJ (129), and a hybrid strain of the two (F(1) hybrids), trained on various versions of a trace fear-conditioning protocol. The initial version was taken from the literature but included unpaired control groups to assess nonassociative effects on test performance. We observed high levels of nonassociative freezing in both contextual and cued test conditions. In particular, nonassociative freezing in unpaired control groups was equivalent to freezing shown by paired groups in the tests for trace conditioning. A number of pilot studies resulted in a new protocol that yielded strong context conditioning and low levels of nonassociative freezing in all mouse strains. During the trace-CS test in this protocol, freezing in unpaired controls remained low in all strains, and both the C57s and F(1) hybrids showed reliable associative trace fear conditioning. Trace conditioning, however, was not obtained in the 129 mice. Our findings indicate that caution is warranted in interpreting mouse fear-conditioning studies that lack control conditions to address nonassociative effects. They also reveal a final set of parameters that are important for minimizing such nonassociative effects and demonstrate strain differences across performance in mouse contextual and trace fear conditioning.

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  • Flight or fight is the sum total of distinct components activated concurrently: a somatomotor component, a visceromotor component, and a pain-modulation component.

    “Studies suggest that flight or fight is the sum total of distinct components activated concurrently: a somatomotor (skeletal muscle) component, a visceromotor (autonomic) component, and a pain-modulation component (see Figures 1 and 2).24,45,46”

    From Fear and the Defense Cascade (2015) · cites this paper as [45]

    The paper’s introductory discussion (indexed under Abstract; page unavailable) describes conditioned fear as involving autonomic responses and cessation of movement or freezing, which loosely corresponds to the visceromotor and somatomotor components. It does not describe a concurrent three-component fight-or-flight response or a pain-modulation component; searches for the component terms and for pain modulation found no such passage. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Authors
Smith, D. R., Gallagher, M., & Stanton, M. E.
Affiliations
Johns Hopkins University (US)
Venue
Learning & Memory
Published
2007-09
Volume
14
Issue
9
Pages
597-605
ISSN
  • 1072-0502 (ISSN-L)
  • 1549-5485
OpenAlex
W2119515211
Cited by
47
References
69
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 2
Type
posted content
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Learning & Memory (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
trace fear conditioning, C57BL/6 mice, 129/Sv mice, F1 hybrids, contextual fear conditioning
MeSH terms
Acoustic Stimulation, Animals, Association Learning, Conditioning, Psychological, Fear, Hippocampus, Hybridization, Genetic, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Species Specificity, Reflex, Startle, Mice

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