Elucidation of the neural mechanisms of the progression of stress-induced fear sensitization

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K20867
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology; Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Ryoke Rie 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 助教 (10737464)
• Research Collaborator: Sumiyoshi Akira ; Nonaka Hiroi
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 恐怖条件づけ / 心的外傷後ストレス障害 / ラット / 形態MRI / 経時的観察

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been well recognized from 1995 when the big disaster of earthquake occurred in Hanshin area. People who exposed such a traumatic events possibly develop PTSD that shows long-lasting distress. Then, we studied longitudinal morphological experiment and behavioral experiment using PTSD animal model to clarify the mechanisms of PTSD symptom’s developments. We conducted structural MRI before and after the PTSD model paradigm. In the results, certain brain region related to learning and memory was decreased in PTSD animal model compared to control animals. Further study should clear the mechanism of individual susceptibility in stress-related mental disorders like PTSD.

Free Research Field

行動神経科学