AI Article Synopsis
- PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after experiencing a severe psychological event, with previous trauma potentially increasing the risk of future PTSD.
- In a study using a mouse model, researchers found that prior exposure to a specific trauma (like a foot shock) enhanced the mice's fear response, lasting for seven days and countered by a specific drug.
- Other trauma methods, like forced swimming or tail pinch, did not show the same increased sensitivity, indicating that not all traumas affect future responses in the same way.
Article Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that occurs following an unexpected exposure to a severe psychological event. A history of a brief trauma is reported to affect a risk for future PTSD development; however, little is known about the mechanisms by which a previous trauma exposure drives the sensitivity to a late-coming trauma. Using a mouse PTSD model, we found that a prior foot shock enhances contextual fear conditioning. This shock-induced facilitation of fear conditioning (i.e., priming effect) persisted for 7 days and was prevented by MK801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist. Other types of trauma, such as forced swimming or tail pinch, did not induce a priming effect on fear conditioning. Thus, a trauma is unlikely generalized to modify the sensitivity to other traumatic experiences. The behavioral procedure employed in this study may be a useful tool to elucidate the etiology of PTSD.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2015.02.001 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!