title: Control conditions in the fear-potentiated startle response paradigm.
abstract: In the present study, the fear-potentiated startle response paradigm was modified in order to investigate the decrease in control startle levels often observed after administration of anxiolytic drugs. The within-animal comparison of control startle amplitudes and fear-potentiated startle amplitudes normally used was replaced by a between-animal comparison. Moreover, the experimental design was extended with an additional control group, a no-shock group. The anxiolytics diazepam and chlordiazepoxide were used as pharmacological tools. The main findings were that both benzodiazepines dose-dependently reduced control startle amplitudes and no-shock startle amplitudes equally, suggesting that shock-associated contextual cues are not responsible for the drug-induced decrease in control startle amplitudes in the fear-potentiated startle response paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Joordens
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hijzen
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olivier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004597:Electroshock; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide; D003975:Diazepam