title: Relief learning is distinguished from safety learning by the requirement of the nucleus accumbens.
abstract: Aversive events induce aversive memories (fear learning) and can also establish appetitive memories. This is the case for cues associated with the cessation of an aversive event (relief learning) or occurring in an explicitly unpaired fashion (safety learning). However, the neural basis of relief and safety learning is poorly understood. In particular, it is not clear whether relief learning and safety learning are neuronally distinct. In the present study, we ask whether the nucleus accumbens is required for the acquisition of relief- and/or safety memory. Temporary inactivation of the nucleus accumbens by local injections of the GABA-A receptor agonist muscimol during the learning session abolished relief learning whereas safety learning was not affected. Thus, the requirement for a functional nucleus accumbens distinguishes relief from safety learning, showing that these two forms of learning are neuronally distinct.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Integrative Neuroscience Program, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Milad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jorge R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bergado-Acosta
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Center of Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany. Electronic address: markus.fendt@med.ovgu.de.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fendt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D003463:Cues; D004597:Electroshock; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012449:Safety
chemical_list: D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D009118:Muscimol
keywords: Anxiety; Fear; Rat; Reward; Startle