title: Assessing the interplay between fear and learning in mice exposed to a live rat in a spatial memory task (MWM).
abstract: In this study we tested the hypothesis that fear might facilitate learning when experienced contextually to the task. To this purpose, learning and memory performance of CD-1 mice in a Morris Water Maze (MWM) was assessed in the presence of a live predator (rat). Results indicate that a live predator induced specific predatory-avoidance responses, such as diving behavior and thigmotaxis. The rat-exposed group showed the most adaptive strategy, balancing anti-predator behavior and escape responses, while the rat pre-exposed group showed impairment in the initial phases of the acquisition. The probe trial revealed distinct swimming patterns but equal memory abilities in the different groups. Overall, this procedure represents a novel and easy test to assess the effects of stressful stimuli, contextually to spatial learning and memory performance, in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Bonsignore
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarotti
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alleva
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cirulli
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*