Extended amygdala circuits are differentially activated by context fear conditioning in male and female rats.

As the incidence of anxiety disorders is more prevalent in females, comparing the neural underpinnings of anxiety in males and females is imperative. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) contributes to long-lasting, anxiety-like states including the expression of context fear conditioning. Currently, there is conflicting evidence as to which nuclei of the BNST contribute to these behaviors.

Transient and Persistent Representations of Odor Value in Prefrontal Cortex.

The representation of odor in olfactory cortex (piriform) is distributive and unstructured and can only be afforded behavioral significance upon learning. We performed 2-photon imaging to examine the representation of odors in piriform and in two downstream areas, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as mice learned olfactory associations. In piriform, we observed that odor responses were largely unchanged during learning.

Weighted vests' effect on social attention for toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Background: There is limited research validating the use of weighted vests for problem behaviours/social attention in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) although vests are commonly used in early intervention to improve attention.

Purpose: The effect of weighted vests on competing behaviours and joint attention (a pivotal skill for development and a core deficit for toddlers with ASD) in semistructured play with their mothers was investigated.

Methods: A multiple baseline design that included generalization probes to provide evidence of treatment effects across adult female play partners.