Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on the extinction of contextual conditioned fear in male and female rats

• Grant number: 24/03021-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Physiological Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Amanda Ribeiro de Oliveira
• Grantee: Camila de Oliveira Alves
• Supervisor: Christa Mcintyre Rodriguez
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/04949-1 - Involvement of D2-like dopaminergic receptors of the inferior colliculus and basolateral amygdala in the expression of conditioned and unconditioned fear in male and female rats, BP.DR

Abstract

Experiences inducing fear can lead to persistent and debilitating memories. The process of extinguishing conditioned fear responses involves establishing new memories that counteract the previously association with fear. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has shown promise as an adjunct treatment for fear-related disorders, with studies indicating its potential to improve fear extinction and alleviate anxiety symptoms in multiple rat models. However, despite the higher prevalence of fear-related disorders in women compared to men, little is understood about the effect of VNS in females. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore whether VNS can improve extinction of contextual conditioned fear in both male and female rats. For this, Sprague-Dawley rats will undergo training in a contextual fear conditioning task followed by three days of extinction training. During the days of extinction, rats will receive VNS treatment. We expect that that VNS will enhance extinction of contextual conditioned fear response in both males and females.