Autonomic Response Measurement
Objective: Identify the afferent link in the neural pathway mediating emotional responses to acoustic stimuli by measuring autonomic and behavioral responses to conditioned acoustic stimuli during extinction trials
This is a Autonomic Response Measurement protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 7 procedural steps, 2 equipment items, 3 materials. Extracted from a 1984 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
rat • Not specified • unknown • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
~2.9 week study window
Core workflow
Anterograde neuroanatomical tracing • Lesion placement • Recovery period
Primary readouts
- Mean arterial pressure changes in response to acoustic conditioned emotional stimulus
- Heart rate changes in response to acoustic conditioned emotional stimulus
- Duration of freezing (immobilization) behavior
- Drink suppression behavior
Key equipment and reagents
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
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Protocol Steps
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Anterograde neuroanatomical tracing
Inject HRP into medial geniculate nucleus (MG) to define the rat auditory cortex through anterograde neuroanatomical tracing studies
Note: This step identifies anatomical connections between MG and auditory cortex
View evidence from paper
“The rat auditory cortex was defined through anterograde neuroanatomical tracing studies involving the injection of HRP into MG”
Lesion placement
Place lesions in either the auditory cortex, medial geniculate nucleus (MG), or inferior colliculus
Note: Different groups received lesions in different brain regions for comparison
View evidence from paper
“Lesions were then placed in the auditory cortex or in MG”
Recovery period
Allow rats to recover following lesion placement before behavioral testing
Note: Recovery period allows for stabilization of lesion effects
View evidence from paper
“After 10 to 20 days the rats were subjected to classical fear conditioning trials”
Classical fear conditioning
Conduct classical fear conditioning trials involving the pairing of a pure tone with electric footshock
Note: Pure tone serves as conditioned stimulus; electric footshock serves as unconditioned stimulus
View evidence from paper
“the rats were subjected to classical fear conditioning trials involving the pairing of a pure tone with electric footshock”
Extinction trials with autonomic measurement
Present the acoustic conditioned emotional stimulus (pure tone) during extinction trials without footshock while measuring mean arterial pressure, heart rate, freezing duration, and drink suppression
Note: No footshock is presented during extinction trials; this is when conditioned responses are measured
View evidence from paper
“presentation during extinction trials (no footshock) of the acoustic conditioned emotional stimulus were measured”
Measure autonomic responses
Record changes in mean arterial pressure and heart rate elicited by presentation of the acoustic conditioned emotional stimulus
Note: Autonomic responses are measured during extinction trials
View evidence from paper
“Changes in mean arterial pressure and heart rate and the duration of immobilization were measured”
Measure behavioral responses
Record the duration of immobilization (freezing) and drink suppression elicited by presentation of the acoustic conditioned emotional stimulus
Note: Behavioral responses are measured during extinction trials
View evidence from paper
“the duration of immobilization (freezing) and drink suppression elicited by presentation during extinction trials”