Immediate pre-learning stress enhances baseline startle response and fear acquisition in a fear-potentiated startle paradigm.

ABSTRACT: Extensive work has shown that stress time-dependently influences hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. In particular, stress that is administered immediately before learning enhances long-term memory, while stress that is temporally separated from learning impairs long-term memory. We have extended these findings by examining the impact of immediate, pre-learning stress on an amygdala-dependent fear conditioning task. One hundred and forty-one healthy participants underwent a stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or control manipulation immediately before completing differential fear conditioning in a fear-potentiated startle paradigm. Participants then completed extinction and extinction memory testing sessions 24 and 48 h later, respectively. Stress administered immediately

SUBMITTER: Riggenbach MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6681462 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature