title: Neck electromyography is an effective measure of fear behavior.
abstract: Conventional methodology for examining conditioned fear has involved visual-based technologies such as cameras and direct observation. These methods are excellent screening tools of fear behavior (i.e. freezing). However, they do not provide a physiological output, which could be useful to examine neurophysiological correlates of fear. We found that dorsal neck electromyography can be used as a method to score fear behavior and is as effective as visual-based scoring. Since electromyogram is a physiological measure it can be used in either the light or dark to score freezing behavior, without use of any camera or visual observation. We also show that electromyogram-based scoring methodologies, in conjunction with electroencephalogram, are useful to discriminate fear from sleep.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., Canada M5S 1A8.
authors.forename: Hendrik W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Steenland
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhuo
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001525:Behavioral Sciences / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004566:Electrodes; D004576:Electromyography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests