title: Glucocorticoids can induce PTSD-like memory impairments in mice.
abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by a hypermnesia of the trauma and by a memory impairment that decreases the ability to restrict fear to the appropriate context. Infusion of glucocorticoids in the hippocampus after fear conditioning induces PTSD-like memory impairments and an altered pattern of neural activation in the hippocampal-amygdalar circuit. Mice become unable to identify the context as the correct predictor of the threat and show fear responses to a discrete cue not predicting the threat in normal conditions. These data demonstrate PTSD-like memory impairments in rodents and identify a potential pathophysiological mechanism of this condition.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR 5228, Centre de Neurosciences Intégratives et Cognitives, Talence, France.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaouane
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Porte
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallée
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brayda-Bruno
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mons
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calandreau
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marighetto
authors.forename: Pier Vincenzo
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desmedt
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D003463:Cues; D004597:Electroshock; D005239:Fear; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D003345:Corticosterone