Emotional Memory

Measuring emotional memory and expression

In the lab we use two different types of Med Associate boxes in combination with Any-maze to design experiments that measure fear and extinction memory and expression, avoidance, and conditioned responding

Combination of operant and fear conditioning boxes

In this configuration we combine two systems from two different companies to generate a relatively unique behavioral system. We have six behavioral boxes purchased from Med-Associates. These boxes can deliver a wide range of tones, four types of lights, and footshocks. The boxes also have two retractable levers for measuring bar presses. The behavioral box is located within a sound-attenuating chamber, which has a fan. This set up allows for the design of complex tasks such as go/no-go decision making tasks or emotional memory tasks such as fear conditioned freezing or suppression. While recording of bar presses can be done automatically in the Med-Associates system, other behaviors (e.g. freezing, darting) are not as easy to quantify. To address this problem we have CCD cameras in each box attached to digitizers on a standard computer that has the Any-maze software. Using Any-maze we can automatically record locomotion, freezing, and darting. Furthermore, Any-maze is directly connected to the Med-Associate boxes, via a TTL card on the Med-Associates box and an input/output card connected to Any-maze. This configuration allows the researcher to let signals in the behavioral boxes control how Any-maze works. Alternatively, Any-maze can use the behavior of the rats to change the progression and trajectory of experiments in the behavioral boxes. Using this system different behaviors can be used to shape the outcome of individual experiments.

Publications with this behavioral set up

Shultz, B*., Farkash, A. ·,, Collins, B. ·,, Mohammadmirzaei, N.*, and Knox., D. (2022). Fear learning-induced changes in AMPAR and NMDAR expression in the fear circuit. Learning & Memory, 29(3): 83-92.
Knox, D. (2021). Issues with Using Animal Models to Examine Sex Differences in Developing PTSD. Biological Psychiatry, 89(9): S48-S49.
Knox, D., Della Valle, R*. Mohammadmirzaei, N.*, Shultz, B.*, Biddle, M., Farkash, A. ·, Chamness, M., and Moulton, E ·. (2021). PI3K-Akt signaling in the basolateral amygdala facilitates traumatic stress enhancements in fear memory. International Journal Of Neuropsychopharmacology. 24(3):229-238. Citations - 2
Della Valle, R*. Mohammadmirzaei, N.*, and Knox, D. (2019). The role of sensory cortex, thalamic nuclei, and the periaqueductal gray in mediating changes in emotional memory in the single prolonged stress model of post traumatic stress disorder. Learning & Memory. 26 (10): 403-411. Citations – 3.
Shultz, B.*, Mohammadmirzaei, N.*, and Knox, D. (2019). Role of nucleus basalis cholinergic neurons in contextual fear memory. Addgene Report. https://doi.org/10.57733/addgene.88hyvn.
Moulton, E. ·, Chamness, M. ·, and Knox, D. (2018). Characterizing changes in glucocorticoid receptor internalization in the fear circuit in an animal model of post traumatic stress disorder. PLOS One 13(12): e0205144. Citations – 1.
Staib, J.M.·, DellaValle, R.*, and Knox, D. (2018). Medial septum and diagonal bands of Broca cholinergic projections to the ventral hippocampus facilitate auditory fear memory. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 152: 71-79. Citations – 8.
Knox, D., Stanfield, B.R. ·, Staib, J.M. ·, David, N.P., DePietro, T. ·, Chamness, M. ·, Schneider, E. K. ·, Keller, S.M.*, and Lawless, C.* (2018). Using c-Jun to map learning-specific neural circuits via which single prolonged stress disrupts extinction retention. Behavioural Brain Research 341: 189-197. Citations – 8.
Knox, D., Stanfield, B.R. ·, Staib, J.M. ·, David, N.P., Keller, S.M.*, and DePietro, T. · (2016). Neural circuits via which single prolonged stress exposure leads to extinction retention deficits. Learning & Memory 23:(12): 689-698. Citations – 21.
Knox, D. and Keller, S.M.* (2016). Cholinergic neuronal lesions in the medial septum and vertical limb of the Diagonal Bands of Broca induce contextual fear memory generalization and impair acquisition of fear extinction. Hippocampus 26(6): 718-726. Citations – 24.
Keller, S.M.*, Schreiber, W.B.*, Stanfield, B.R. ·, Knox, D. (2015). Inhibiting corticosterone synthesis during fear memory formation exacerbates cued fear extinction memory deficits within the single prolonged stress model. Behavioural Brain Research 287: 182 - 186. Citations – 16.
Keller, S.M.*, Schreiber, W.B.*, Staib, J.M. ·, Knox, D. (2015). Sex differences in the single prolonged stress model. Behavioural Brain Research 286: 29-32. Citations – 33.

Passive-avoidance boxes

We have four behavioral boxes purchased from Med-Associates. These boxes can deliver a single tone and deliver footshocks which can be used to measure avoidance behavior (using infrared beams). The behavioral box is located within a sound-attenuating chamber, which has a fan. We also have CCD cameras in each box attached to digitizers on a standard computer that has the Any-maze software. Using Any-maze we can automatically record locomotion, freezing, and darting. Furthermore, Any-maze is directly connected to the Med-Associate boxes, via a TTL card on the Med-Associates box and an input/output card connected to Any-maze. This configuration allows the researcher to let signals in the behavioral boxes control how Any-maze works. Alternatively, Any-maze can use the behavior of the rats to change the progression and trajectory of experiments in the behavioral boxes. Using this system different behaviors can be used to shape the outcome of individual experiments. We are currently working on our publishing our first study that utilized this behavioral set up.

Publications with this behavioral set up

Collins, B•, Biddle, M*, Wood, D*, Boyapati, S•, Barth, M•, Jeun, C•, Knox, D. (2023) The role of avoidance in modulating single prolonged stress effects on emotional memory in male and female rats. Behavioural Brain Research. 452:114579.

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