Cordero M I, Merino J J, Sandi C
Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain.
Behav Neurosci. 1998 Aug;112(4):885-91. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.112.4.885.
A role for corticosterone in the consolidation of contextual fear conditioning has previously been proposed. In this study, physiological evidence was found to support this view. The extent of conditioned fear and the levels of plasma corticosterone in rats, after context exposure at training and at different posttraining times (24 hr and 7 days), depended on the intensity of the unconditional stimulus (footshock). In each experimental session, a positive correlation was found between the magnitude of corticosterone levels and the fear-related behavioral inhibition exhibited in the context. Results support the involvement of corticosterone on the processes that occur during consolidation in determining the strength at which the contextual fear conditioning is stored as a long-term memory.
先前有人提出皮质酮在情境恐惧条件反射巩固过程中发挥作用。在本研究中，发现了生理学证据来支持这一观点。大鼠在训练时及训练后不同时间点（24小时和7天）进行情境暴露后，条件性恐惧的程度和血浆皮质酮水平取决于无条件刺激（足部电击）的强度。在每个实验环节中，发现皮质酮水平的高低与在情境中表现出的与恐惧相关的行为抑制之间存在正相关。结果支持皮质酮参与了巩固过程中所发生的机制，从而决定情境恐惧条件反射作为长期记忆存储的强度。
