Age-dependent effects of preconditioning aversive experiences on the retention of conditioned fear in weanling rats

Vahram Haroutunian; David C. Riccio

doi:10.1016/S0163-1047(79)92659-1

Age-dependent effects of preconditioning aversive experiences on the retention of conditioned fear in weanling rats

Vahram Haroutunian, David C. Riccio

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Two experiments investigated the effect of prior noncontingent shock experience upon the retention of fear in young rats. Rats given Pavlovian fear conditioning at 20 days of age and tested 2 or 4 weeks later showed less forgetting if they had received preconditioning shocks in infancy. The magnitude of this protection effect was inversely related to the age at which the prior experience had occurred. As preshock treatments did not appear to affect acquisition, the improved retention does not seem to be based upon changes in original learning. Early experience may enhance memory processes by increasing cue utilization.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	248-253
Number of pages	6
Journal	Behavioral and Neural Biology
Volume	26
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-1047(79)92659-1
State	Published - Jun 1979
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Age-dependent effects of preconditioning aversive experiences on the retention of conditioned fear in weanling rats",

abstract = "Two experiments investigated the effect of prior noncontingent shock experience upon the retention of fear in young rats. Rats given Pavlovian fear conditioning at 20 days of age and tested 2 or 4 weeks later showed less forgetting if they had received preconditioning shocks in infancy. The magnitude of this protection effect was inversely related to the age at which the prior experience had occurred. As preshock treatments did not appear to affect acquisition, the improved retention does not seem to be based upon changes in original learning. Early experience may enhance memory processes by increasing cue utilization.",

author = "Vahram Haroutunian and Riccio, \{David C.\}",

note = "Funding Information: t Now at Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, N. J. 08540 and to whom reprint requests should be addressed. This research was supported in part by NIMH Grant MH30223 to the second author.",

year = "1979",

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journal = "Behavioral and Neural Biology",

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AU - Haroutunian, Vahram

AU - Riccio, David C.

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PY - 1979/6

Y1 - 1979/6

N2 - Two experiments investigated the effect of prior noncontingent shock experience upon the retention of fear in young rats. Rats given Pavlovian fear conditioning at 20 days of age and tested 2 or 4 weeks later showed less forgetting if they had received preconditioning shocks in infancy. The magnitude of this protection effect was inversely related to the age at which the prior experience had occurred. As preshock treatments did not appear to affect acquisition, the improved retention does not seem to be based upon changes in original learning. Early experience may enhance memory processes by increasing cue utilization.

AB - Two experiments investigated the effect of prior noncontingent shock experience upon the retention of fear in young rats. Rats given Pavlovian fear conditioning at 20 days of age and tested 2 or 4 weeks later showed less forgetting if they had received preconditioning shocks in infancy. The magnitude of this protection effect was inversely related to the age at which the prior experience had occurred. As preshock treatments did not appear to affect acquisition, the improved retention does not seem to be based upon changes in original learning. Early experience may enhance memory processes by increasing cue utilization.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0018765907

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DO - 10.1016/S0163-1047(79)92659-1

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JO - Behavioral and Neural Biology

JF - Behavioral and Neural Biology

IS - 2

ER -

Age-dependent effects of preconditioning aversive experiences on the retention of conditioned fear in weanling rats

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