Neural circuit changes mediating lasting brain and behavioral response to predator stress.
This paper reviews recent work which points to critical neural circuitry involved in lasting changes in anxiety like behavior following unprotected exposure of rats to cats (predator stress). Predator stress may increase anxiety like behavior in a variety of behavioral tests including: elevated plus maze, light dark box, acoustic startle, and social interaction. Studies of neural transmission in two limbic pathways, combined with path and covariance analysis relating physiology to behavior, suggest long term potentiation like changes in one or both of these pathways in the right hemisphere accounts for stress induced changes in all behaviors changed by predator stress except light dark box and social interaction. Findings will be discussed within the context of what is known about neural substrates activated by predator odor.
Adamec
Robert E
RE
Dept. of Psychology, Memorial University, 232 Elizabeth Ave., St. John's, Nl, Canada. radamec@mun.ca
Blundell
Jacqueline
J
Burton
Paul
P
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D000679:Amygdala / Q000528:radiation effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002415:Cats; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D007839:Functional Laterality; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*