Infralimbic D2 receptors are necessary for fear extinction and extinction-related tone responses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fear extinction is dependent on plasticity in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex, an area heavily innervated by midbrain dopaminergic inputs. Dopamine D2 receptors are concentrated in infralimbic output neurons that are involved in the suppression of conditioned fear after extinction. Here, we examined the specific role of infralimbic D2 receptors in mediating associative learning underlying fear extinction using the selective D2 antagonist raclopride.

Methods

Raclopride was administered systemically or infused into the infralimbic prefrontal cortex before fear extinction, and extinction retention was tested the following day. Rats were also prepared for single-unit recording in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex to assess the effect of raclopride on firing properti

SUBMITTER: Mueller D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2981677 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature