title: Tricyclic antidepressants: effects on extinction and fear learning.
abstract: Rats trained to run an alley for a food reward were extinguished following injections of different antidepressants. When retested several days later, the animals extinguished following pretreatment with the NE reuptake blocker protriptyline showed faster running speeds than did the other groups. Other rats given electrical shocks following pretreatment with protriptyline avoided the compartment in which they had been shocked less than did animals shocked following pretreatment with other antidepressants. This implies an interferance with some aspect of the learning or consolidation process which is correlated with the degree of NE reuptake blockage. It is hypothesized that NE terminals are deactivated following frustrative nonreward or punishment by the conversion and reuptake of the released NE to an altered extinction molecule.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004597:Electroshock; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D009526:Nialamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D014191:Tranylcypromine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D014191:Tranylcypromine; D002997:Clomipramine; D009526:Nialamide