1. Neuroscience. 2019 Feb 1;398:231-251. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.004.

Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Localization of Contextual and Context Removed Auditory Fear Memory within the
Basolateral Amygdala Complex.

Chaaya N(1), Jacques A(1), Belmer A(2), Richard DJ(3), Bartlett SE(2), Battle
AR(4), Johnson LR(5).

Author information:
(1)School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology,
Brisbane, Australia; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland
University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane,
Australia.
(2)Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of
Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; School of
Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
(3)Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of
Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; School of
Biomedical Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
(4)Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of
Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; School of
Biomedical Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; The
University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia.
(5)School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology,
Brisbane, Australia; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland
University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane,
Australia; Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry,
USU School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address:
lukejohnsonphd@gmail.com.

Debilitating and persistent fear memories can rapidly form in humans following
exposure to traumatic events. Fear memories can also be generated and studied in
animals via Pavlovian fear conditioning. The current study was designed to
evaluate basolateral amygdala complex (BLC) involvement following the formation
of different fear memories (two contextual fear memories and one adjusted
auditory fear memory). Fear memories were created in the same context with five
1.0 mA (0.50 s) foot-shocks and, where necessary, five auditory tones (5 kHz,
75 dB, 20 s). The adjusted auditory fear conditioning protocol was employed to
remove background contextual fear and produce isolated auditory fear memories.
Immunofluorescent labeling was utilized to identify neurons expressing immediate
early genes (IEGs). We found the two contextual fear conditioning (CFC)
procedures to produce similar levels of fear-related freezing to context.
Contextual fear memories produced increases in BLC IEG expression with distinct
and separate patterns of expression. These data suggest contextual fear memories
created in slightly altered contexts, can produce unique patterns of amygdala
activation. The adjusted auditory fear conditioning procedure produced memories
to a tone, but not to a context. This group, where no contextual fear was
present, had a significant reduction in BLC IEG expression. These data suggest
background contextual fear memories, created in standard auditory fear
conditioning protocols, contribute significantly to increases in amygdala
activation.

Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.004
PMID: 30552931