Potential role for central amygdala activation associated with avoidance learning in Wistar-Kyoto rats — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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Potential role for central amygdala activation associated with avoidance learning in Wistar-Kyoto rats

Name: Nicole McCarthy
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Plainfield, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors: Dan Miller
Type of research: Independent research
Funding: external funding

Abstract

Behavioral inhibition is a personality temperament characterized by a tendency to avoid novel stimuli. Behaviorally inhibited people show increased vulnerability to anxiety and stress disorders. Wister-Kiyoto (WKY) rats display behavioral inhibition, attain signaled lever press avoidance at a higher rate, and are more resistant to extinction than control, Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Thus, we have proposed that WKY rats are a model for anxiety and stress research. In previous research, we trained WKY and SD rats on either 100% tone-shock pairing or 50% tone-shock pairing in a signaled lever-press avoidance task. WKY rats in both the 100% and 50% contingency displayed the highest rate of avoidance learning, while SD rats in the 50% contingency failed to acquire avoidance learning. WKY rats appear to acquire avoidance based on the expectation of shock, whereas SD rats appear to acquire avoidance based on the presence of shock reinforcement. In the present study, we sought to determine areas of the brain that are associated with enhanced avoidance acquisition in behavioral inhibition by staining for Zif using immunohistochemistry. Zif is an immediate early gene that is correlated with synaptic plasticity of neurons. WKY and SD rats were run in either 50% or 100% tone-shock pairings for 3 days, and then stained for Zif activation. We examined the habenula, periaqueductal gray, cingulate cortex, and the amygdala as our regions of interest. The habenula is correlated with motivational behavior. The periaqueductal gray is associated with the sensation of pain, corresponding with the delivery of shocks. The cingulate cortex receives input from the limbic system which processes emotion, learning, and memory. The amygdala is associated with fear and fear learning. Future studies will examine these areas linked with behavioral inhibition to assess the cellular and molecular changes that occur with avoidance learning. Knowing how these areas are associated with avoidance acquisition in behavioral inhibition may shed light on the acquisition of symptomology in anxiety and stress vulnerable individuals and suggest areas for treatment.