NMDA receptors in the pontine brainstem are necessary for fear potentiation of the startle response

European Journal of Pharmacology
M FendtH U Schnitzler

Abstract

The fear-potentiated startle model in rats is a valuable animal test for the investigation of the neural and neurochemical basis of fear. In this model, rats are trained to associate a neutral stimulus with an aversive stimulus, so that after conditioning the conditioned stimulus alone elicits a state of fear leading to an exaggerated acoustic startle response. The fear-potentiated startle model does not require instrumental responding for the indication of states of fear. The acoustic startle response is mediated by a simple brainstem circuit, with the caudal pontine reticular nucleus as an interface that receives input from startle-enhancing circuits. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors on neurones of the caudal pontine reticular nucleus are involved in the mediation of fear-potentiated startle. After fear-conditioning, we injected the NMDA receptor antagonist DL-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5), into the caudal pontine reticular nucleus of awake rats and tested the effect on the expression of fear-potentiated startle. Injections of AP-5 (0.125-0.5 nmol) into the caudal pontine reticular nucleus dose dependently attenuated fear-potentiated startle without affecting...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1992·Annual Review of Neuroscience·M Davis
Dec 20, 1993·Behavioural Brain Research·M DavisM Kim
Oct 23, 1995·Neuroreport·M FendtH U Schnitzler
May 1, 1951·Journal of Experimental Psychology·J S BROWNI E FARBER

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Citations

Feb 8, 2011·Journal of Neural Transmission·Ewa PoleszakPiotr Wlaź
Jul 7, 1999·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·M Fendt, M S Fanselow
Jul 14, 1998·Neurobiology of Aging·G B VartyM A Geyer
Aug 27, 1999·Progress in Neurobiology·M Koch
Dec 17, 2003·Behavioral Neuroscience·Marianne WeberRick Richardson
Nov 20, 1998·Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society·M Davis
May 17, 2011·Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior·Carlos Riaza Bermudo-SorianoEnrique Baca-Garcia
Jun 18, 2011·Journal of Neurochemistry·Christopher J WatsonHelen A Baghdoyan
Sep 10, 2013·Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·Yangli ZhangDeqiang Wang
Jan 31, 2008·Perceptual and Motor Skills·Hitoshi Sasaki, Atsushi Hanamoto
Feb 12, 2008·Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry·Kristina Zdanys, Rajesh R Tampi
Sep 5, 2002·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Hon-Kit WongNikolaus J Sucher
Jan 10, 2006·CNS Spectrums·Bernadette M Cortese, K Luan Phan

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