Ecological analysis of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats

• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03802-1
• Publication Date: 2022-08-18T08:02:28Z
• Authors: Peter R. Zambetti; Bryan P. Schuessler; Bryce E. Lecamp; Andrew Shin; Eun Joo Kim; Jeansok J. Kim
• Keywords: Looming; Extinction (optical mineralogy); Tone (literature); Associative learning

Pavlovian fear conditioning, which offers the advantage of simplicity in both control conditional and unconditional stimuli (CS, US) presentation analysis specific responses (CR, UR) a controlled laboratory setting, has been standard model basic translational research. Despite 100 years experiments, utility conditioning not trans-situationally validated real-life contexts. We thus investigated whether readily occurs guides animal's future behavior an ecologically-relevant environment. To do so, Long-Evans rats foraging for food open arena were presented with tone CS paired electric shock US to their dorsal neck/body that instinctively elicited escape UR safe nest. On subsequent test days, tone-shock animals failed exhibit CR CS. In contrast, encountered realistic agent danger (a looming artificial owl) shock, simulating plausible predatory strike, instantly fled nest when first time. These results highlight possibility nonassociative, rather than associative, process providing survival function life-threatening situations are likely encounter nature.