Classical Fear Conditioning with Autonomic and Behavioral Measurement
Objective: Determine whether lesions of central amygdaloid nucleus projection targets disrupt classical conditioning of autonomic and/or behavioral emotional responses to paired acoustic stimulus and footshock
This is a Classical Fear Conditioning with Autonomic and Behavioral Measurement protocol using Not explicitly stated as the model organism. The procedure involves 4 procedural steps, 6 equipment items, 1 materials. Extracted from a 1988 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
Not explicitly stated • Not explicitly stated • Not explicitly stated • Not explicitly stated • Not explicitly stated • Not explicitly stated
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Lesion creation • Recovery period • Classical fear conditioning
Primary readouts
- Conditioned arterial pressure response (autonomic measure)
- Conditioned freezing behavior (behavioral measure)
- Presence or absence of responses following lesions to different brain regions
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Lesion creation
Create lesions in target brain regions (lateral hypothalamic area, midbrain central gray region, or bed nucleus of stria terminalis) using either electrolytic lesioning or microinjection of ibotenic acid
Note: Ibotenic acid lesions destroy local neurons without interrupting fibers of passage, allowing differentiation between local neuronal involvement and fiber-of-passage effects
View evidence from paper
“Lesions were made either electrolytically or by microinjection of ibotenic acid, which destroys local neurons without interrupting fibers of passage”
Recovery period
Allow animals to recover for two weeks following lesion procedures before conditioning
Note: Recovery period allows stabilization of lesion effects
View evidence from paper
“Two weeks later, the animals were classically conditioned by pairing an acoustic stimulus with footshock”
Classical fear conditioning
Pair acoustic stimulus with footshock to establish conditioned fear response
Note: Conditioning session establishes association between acoustic conditioned stimulus and footshock unconditioned stimulus
View evidence from paper
“the animals were classically conditioned by pairing an acoustic stimulus with footshock”
Measurement of conditioned responses
The next day following conditioning, measure conditioned changes in autonomic activity (increases in arterial pressure) and emotional behavior (freezing, or arrest of somatomotor activity) evoked by the acoustic conditioned stimulus during extinction trials
Note: Measurements conducted during extinction trials when only the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus
View evidence from paper
“The next day, conditioned changes in autonomic activity (increases in arterial pressure) and emotional behavior ('freezing,' or the arrest of somatomotor activity) evoked by the acoustic conditioned stimulus (CS) were measured during extinction trials”