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Updated: Mar 30, 2026
Author Spotlight: Exploring Neural Correlates of Defensive Behaviors in Fear Learning and Extinction
Published on: December 15, 2023
(16)Oxygen irradiation enhances cued fear memory in B6D2F1 mice
Jacob Raber1, Tessa Marzulla2, Amy Kronenberg3
1Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience ONPRC, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
Abstract:
The space radiation environment includes energetic charged particles that may impact cognitive performance. We assessed the effects of (16)O ion irradiation on cognitive performance of C57BL/6J × DBA/2J F1 (B6D2F1) mice at OHSU (Portland, OR) one month following irradiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL, Upton, NY). Hippocampus-dependent contextual fear memory and hippocampus-independent cued fear memory of B6D2F1 mice were tested. (16)O ion exposure enhanced cued fear memory. This effect showed a bell-shaped dose response curve. Cued fear memory was significantly stronger in mice irradiated with (16)O ions at a dose of 0.4 or 0.8 Gy than in sham-irradiated mice or following irradiation at 1.6 Gy. In contrast to cued fear memory, contextual fear memory was not affected following (16)O ion irradiation at the doses used in this study. These data indicate that the amygdala might be particularly susceptible to effects of (16)O ion exposure.
