Source Paper
No effect of partial reinforcement on fear extinction learning and memory in C57BL/6J mice
Su CJ, Fukunaga Y, Penna S, Cazares VA
Learn Mem • 2025
Fear Extinction
Objective: To assess fear extinction learning and memory by measuring freezing behavior in mice exposed to conditioned stimuli without reinforcement
This is a Fear Extinction protocol using Mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 4 procedural steps, 5 equipment items, 4 materials. Extracted from a 2025 paper published in Learn Mem.
Model and subjects
Mouse • C57BL/6J • Male and female • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
~2 day study window
Core workflow
Fear conditioning training • Fear extinction training • Recent extinction memory test
Primary readouts
- Percent time freezing during conditioned stimulus presentation
- Freezing behavior defined as absence of movement except breathing in 1 second bins
- Motion index based on variance of pixel intensity across video frames
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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- Verify the animal model, intervention setup, and collection timepoints against the source paper.
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Protocol Steps
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Fear conditioning training
Mice receive delayed fear conditioning with tones (50 db, 4.0 kHz) as conditioned stimuli immediately preceding footshocks (0.75 or 0.3 mA) as unconditioned stimuli. Training occurs in context A with metal rod floor, vinegar scent, and lights on.
View evidence from paper
“All experiments consisted of one or 2 days of delayed FC, during which 10 or 25 sec tones (50 db, 4.0 kHz), serving as conditioned stimuli (CS), immediately preceded 0.75 or 0.3 mA footshocks”
Fear extinction training
Mice receive unreinforced exposures to the conditioned stimulus in context B (semicircular white acrylic walls, ethanol scent, lights off).
View evidence from paper
“Following FC, mice received between one and three consecutive days of FE training, each day of which consisted of 12 unreinforced exposures to the CS”
Recent extinction memory test
Mice are exposed to four conditioned stimuli in context B to assess recent extinction memory.
View evidence from paper
“To assess the strength of recent and remote FE memory, mice were exposed to four CS at 2 and 30 days after extinction training”
Remote extinction memory test
Mice are exposed to four conditioned stimuli in context B to assess remote extinction memory.
View evidence from paper
“To assess the strength of recent and remote FE memory, mice were exposed to four CS at 2 and 30 days after extinction training”