Norepinephrine mediates contextual fear learning and hippocampal pCREB in juvenile rats exposed to predator odor

► Both infant and juvenile rats display unlearned fear to cat odor. ► Cat odor supports contextual conditioning in juvenile, but not infant, rats. ► Propranolol blocks unlearned fear and contextually-conditioned freezing. ► Hippocampal pCREB is increased in juvenile, but not infant, rats exposed to cat odor. ► This increase in juvenile hippocampal pCREB is blocked with propranolol.