Source Paper
Facilitation of Conditioned Fear Extinction by Systemic Administration or Intra-Amygdala Infusions of d-Cycloserine as Assessed with Fear-Potentiated Startle in Rats
David L. Walker, Kerry J. Ressler, Kwok-Tung Lu, Michael Davis
Journal of Neuroscience • 2002
Systemic D-Cycloserine Administration
Objective: Evaluate the ability of d-cycloserine (DCS), a partial agonist at the glycine-recognition site on the NMDA receptor complex, to facilitate conditioned fear extinction after systemic administration before extinction training
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Protocol Steps
Fear Conditioning
Rats received fear conditioning consisting of 10 pairings of a light stimulus and footshock
Note: Light stimulus duration: 3.7 seconds; Footshock intensity: 0.4 mA
View evidence from paper
“Rats received 10 pairings of a 3.7 sec light and a 0.4 mA footshock (fear conditioning)”
Baseline Fear-Potentiated Startle Measurement
Fear-potentiated startle was measured before extinction training to establish baseline response
Note: Measured as increased startle in the presence versus absence of the light
View evidence from paper
“Fear-potentiated startle (increased startle in the presence vs the absence of the light) was subsequently measured before and after”
Systemic D-Cycloserine Administration
Intraperitoneal injection of d-cycloserine at one of three doses before extinction training
Note: Three dose conditions tested: 3.25 mg/kg, 15 mg/kg, or 30 mg/kg; administered before extinction training
View evidence from paper
“DCS injections (3.25, 15, or 30 mg/kg) before 30 non-reinforced light exposures dose-dependently enhanced extinction”
Extinction Training
Rats received non-reinforced light presentations without footshock to extinguish the conditioned fear response
Note: Thirty presentations produced modest extinction; 60 or 90 presentations produced nearly complete extinction
View evidence from paper
“60 or 90 presentations of the light without shock (extinction training). Thirty non-reinforced light presentations produced modest extinction, and 60 or 90 presentations produced nearly complete extinction”
Post-Extinction Fear-Potentiated Startle Measurement
Fear-potentiated startle was measured after extinction training to assess extinction learning
Note: Compared to baseline measurements to determine extinction effect
View evidence from paper
“Fear-potentiated startle (increased startle in the presence vs the absence of the light) was subsequently measured before and after”