Autonomic correlates of defense responses, including tonic immobility (TI)

Animal models of autonomic correlates of defense behavior range from fish to mammals. There is however no study reporting heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure and body temperature simultaneously recorded in the same animal in association to different forms of immobility in response to threat: freezing, restraint-sustained immobility and tonic immobility (TI). In a prey/ predator context freezing behavior is associated with bradycardia and no change in blood pressure but in other conditions (e.g., extreme stressful stimuli) may be associated with tachycardia and hypertension. Restraint-sustained immobility does not affect blood pressure but may reduce heart rate according to the type of stimulus and mechanical pressure. Blood pressure and heart rate oscillate during TI induction and adjust at basal levels during TI, sometimes gradually decreasing below basal levels. In conclusion, in all these passive defense responses, the immobility is not due to a blood pressure collapse.