The impact of motherhood on fear extinction in rats

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This project aims to identify how motherhood, a time of significant hormonal flux, alters the mechanisms underlying fear regulation in female rats. Current theories of fear regulation are limited because they have been derived from studies that have focused on males but recent work suggests that sex hormones influence fear regulation. The expected outcomes of this project will help to develop a more ecologically valid model of fear regulation that accounts for fluctuations in female sex hormones and reproductive experience. This should provide unique insights into fear reduction and protection against anxiety.