Traumatic memory provoked by odor in rats' fear conditioning and maternal separation

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K04180
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: YAMADA Kazuo 筑波大学, 人間系, 准教授 (30282312)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 一谷 幸男 筑波大学, 人間系, 教授 (80176289)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): AYABE Saho 筑波大学, 人間系, 教授 (40323232)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ラット / ニオイ刺激 / トラウマ記憶 / 恐怖条件づけ / 母子分離 / 養育行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined effects of odors on the acquisition and the extinction of traumatic memories using two PTSD animal models: fear conditioning and maternal separation paradigms. Our data showed that 1. the extinction of fear responses associated with contextual stimulus could not generalize those associated with odor stimulus, 2. only male rats preferred the odor stimulus that they experiences during maternal separation. 3. the fact that mothers took care of male pups more than females’ could cause the sex differences in their preference to odor stimulus related to traumatic memories.

Free Research Field

実験心理学