Pre-trauma memory contextualization as predictor for PTSD-like behavior in male rats

While many people experience potentially threatening events during their life, only a minority develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The identification of individuals at risk among those exposed to trauma is crucial for PTSD prevention in the future. Since re-experiencing trauma elements outside of the original trauma-context is a core feature of PTSD, we investigate if the ability to bind memories to their original encoding context (i.e. memory contextualization) predicts PTSD vulnerability. We hypothesize that pre-trauma neutral memory contextualization (under stress) negatively relates to PTSD-like behavior, in a prospective design using the cut-off behavioral criteria rat model for PTSD. 72 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided in two experimental groups to assess the predictive value of 1) memory contextualization without acute stress (NS-group) and 2) memory contextualization during the recovery phase of the acute stress-response (S-group) for susceptibility to PTSD-like behavior. A powerful extension to regression analysis -path analysis-was used to test this specific hypothesis, together with secondary research questions. Following traumatic predator scent stress, 19.4% of the rats displayed PTSD-like behavior. Results showed a negative relation between pre-trauma memory contextualization and PTSD-like behavior, but only in the NS-group. Pre-trauma memory contextualization was positively related to fear association in the trauma environment, again only in the NS group. If the predictive value of pre-trauma contextualization of neutral information under non-stressful conditions for PTSD susceptibility is replicated in prospective studies in humans, this factor would supplement already known vulnerability factors for PTSD and improve the identification of individuals at risk among the trauma exposed, especially those at high trauma risk such as soldiers deployed on a mission.