Chemical Lesion of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Blocks the Behavioral Consequences of Uncontrollable Stress

Uncontrollable or inescapable shock (IS) produces behavioral changes that are characterized by a sensitized fear system and a deficit in fight-flight responding. These behavioral changes have been argued to represent an anxiety-like state produced by the uncontrollability of the stressor. The bed nu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral neuroscience 2004-04, Vol.118 (2), p.443-448
Main Authors: Hammack, Sayamwong E, Richey, Kristen J, Watkins, Linda R, Maier, Steven F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affectivity. Emotion
Anatomical correlates of behavior
Animal
Animal Escape Behavior
Animals
Anxiety
Behavior
Behavior, Animal - physiology
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Consequence
Escape Conditioning
Fear
Fear & phobias
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lesions
Male
N-Methylaspartate - administration & dosage
N-Methylaspartate - adverse effects
Neurology
Personality. Affectivity
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Response Latency
Septal Nuclei - physiopathology
Shock
Stress
Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
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Summary:Uncontrollable or inescapable shock (IS) produces behavioral changes that are characterized by a sensitized fear system and a deficit in fight-flight responding. These behavioral changes have been argued to represent an anxiety-like state produced by the uncontrollability of the stressor. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has been implicated in the mediation of long-duration responses to unpredictable stressors, which have also been argued to represent anxiety. In the present study, the effects of BNST chemical lesion on the IS-induced sensitization of freezing to an environment previously paired with shock and the IS-induced impairment of escape responding were investigated. BNST chemical lesion blocked the potentiation of freezing and the increases in escape latency that normally follow IS.
ISSN:0735-7044
1939-0084
DOI:10.1037/0735-7044.118.2.443