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Stress-Enhanced Fear Learning, a Robust Rodent Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Published on: October 13, 2018
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Single prolonged stress in mice: interactions between alcohol drinking, negative affect, and fear learning
Aditi B Buch1, Ava L Shipman1, Nicolas J Azzarello1
1Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, NC 27103, USA.
Psychopharmacology
|November 24, 2025
Summary
Single Prolonged Stress (SPS) impacts male mice
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Traumatic stress can lead to alcohol use disorder (AUD).
- Sex differences influence stress and AUD.
- Preclinical models are crucial for understanding these interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how traumatic stress affects ethanol consumption and PTSD-like behaviors in male and female mice.
- To utilize the Single Prolonged Stress (SPS) model for comprehensive analysis.
Main Methods:
- Male and female mice underwent SPS, followed by a stress incubation period.
- Tests included aversive state, fear discrimination, and ethanol drinking patterns.
- Ethanol access was provided continuously or limited.
Main Results:
- SPS increased negative affect and startle in males; females were unaffected.
- SPS impaired fear discrimination, while ethanol reduced fear responses.
- Sex differences in consumption persisted; female consumption increased with early/continuous ethanol access.
Conclusions:
- A sex-specific relationship exists between traumatic stress, fear memory, and ethanol consumption timing.
- SPS is a valuable model for studying sex-specific mechanisms of stress-induced affective disorders.
