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Two types of social buffering differentially mitigate conditioned fear responses
Yasushi Kiyokawa1, Yukari Takeuchi, Yuji Mori
1Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan. kiyokawa-ns@umin.ac.jp
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|December 7, 2007
Summary
Social buffering in rats using pair-housing or pair-exposure differentially reduces conditioned fear responses. Combining both methods completely blocks fear, influencing distinct neural pathways.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Social buffering, where conspecific signals reduce stress, occurs via pair-housing or pair-exposure.
- Auditory conditioned fear responses in rats involve behavioral, autonomic, and neural components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of pair-housing and pair-exposure on auditory conditioned fear in male rats.
- To investigate the neural pathways modulated by different social buffering strategies.
Main Methods:
- Male rats underwent auditory fear conditioning followed by either pair-housing or pair-exposure with a conspecific.
- Behavioral (freezing), autonomic (stress-induced hyperthermia), and neural (Fos expression) responses were measured.
- Fos expression was analyzed in key brain regions like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
Main Results:
- Pair-housing suppressed autonomic responses but not behavioral ones, with Fos expression in the lateral amygdala and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray.
- Pair-exposure eliminated behavioral responses but not autonomic ones, with Fos expression in the basal amygdala and infralimbic cortex.
- Combined pair-housing and pair-exposure abolished all fear responses, indicating complete fear blocking.
Conclusions:
- Two distinct social buffering methods differentially modulate conditioned fear responses in rats.
- These methods engage separate neural circuits within the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
- Combined social buffering strategies offer a potent method for fear response inhibition.
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