Individual differences in fear memory expression engage distinct functional brain networks.

ABSTRACT: Fearful stimuli elicit a mix of active ( e.g., evasion) and passive (e.g., freezing) behaviors in a wide range of species, including zebrafish ( Danio rerio ). However, it is not clear if individual differences in fear responses exist and, if so, what parts of the brain may underlie such differences. To probe these questions, we developed a contextual fear conditioning paradigm for zebrafish that uses conspecific alarm substance (CAS) as an unconditioned stimulus where fish associate CAS administration with a specific tank. To identify individual differences, we collected behavioral responses from over 300 fish from four different strains (AB, TU, TL, and WIK) and both sexes. We found that fear memory behavior fell into four distinct groups: non-reactive, evaders, evading fre

SUBMITTER: Fontana BD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12132308 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature