title: A selective role for corticosterone in contextual-fear conditioning.
abstract: The contribution of corticosterone to contextual- and auditory-cue fear conditioning was examined. Adrenalectomized rats showed reduced contextual-fear conditioning when tested 24 hr after conditioning; however, neither immediate contextual- nor auditory-cue fear conditioning was impaired. Contextual-fear conditioning in adrenalectomized rats with corticosterone replacement during the 4-day interval separating surgery and conditioning matched the level of controls. Moreover, rats exposed to the context prior to adrenalectomy showed normal long-term contextual-fear conditioning. Corticosterone replacement administered after the conditioning episode also negated the effects of adrenalectomy. Thus, corticosterone's role in fear conditioning is selective: It appears to contribute to the neural processes that support the consolidation of a long-term memory representation of the context.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Colorado at Boulder 80309-0345, USA.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pugh
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleshner
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rudy
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003345:Corticosterone