Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
936826 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 2010 11 Pages PDF
Abstract

Prey animals such as rats display innate defensive responses when exposed to the odor of a predator, providing a valuable means of studying the neurobiology of anxiety. While the unconditioned behavioral and neural responses to a single predator odor exposure have been well documented, the paradigm can also be used to study learning-dependent adaptations that occur following repeated exposure to a stressor or associated stimuli. In developing preclinical models for human anxiety disorders this is advantageous, as anxiety disorders seldom involve a single acute experience of anxiety, but rather are chronic and/or recurring illnesses. Part 1 of this review summarizes current research on the three most commonly used predator-related odors: cat odor, ferret odor, and trimethylthiazoline (a component of fox odor). Part 2 reviews the learning-based behavioral and neural adaptations that underlie predator odor-induced context conditioning, one-trial tolerance, sensitization, habituation and dishabituation.

Research highlights► Predator odors are increasingly used to study the neurobiology of anxiety. ► Cat odor, ferret odor and TMT are the most commonly used predator odors. ► Predator odors produce learning-dependent neuroadaptations in anxiety models. ► These models provide new information about specific subtypes of anxiety.

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Life Sciences Neuroscience Behavioral Neuroscience
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