title: Sex differences in the generalization of fear as a function of retention intervals.
abstract: In previous studies using male rodents, context change disrupted a fear response at a short, but not a long, retention interval. Here, we examined the effects of context changes on fear responses as a function of time in male and female rats. Males displayed context discrimination at all intervals, whereas females exhibited generalization by 5 d. Ovariectomized females with no hormone replacement displayed context discrimination at 5 d, whereas those receiving 17β-estradiol generalized their fear response to a neutral context. These results demonstrate that fear generalization for contextual cues occurs faster in female rats and is mediated, in part, by estrogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Patrick K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jasnow
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Riccio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol