EARLY LIFE STRESS IN NON HUMAN PRIMATES AND HUMANS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The goal of this work is to develop an objective way to measure inhibition of fear in rhesus monkeys and humans. In rats we have developed such a procedure in which one pair of cues (AX+) is paired with an aversive airblast and another pair of cues (BX-) is not paired with an aversive airblast. Under these conditions, rats learn to be afraid of A, not to be afraid of B and fear of X is some where in the middle. Importantly, when we test fear to A in the presence of B we see that B inhibits fear to A. We have now set up the AX+, BX- discrimination in humans and are testing it in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, we have set up the AX+, BX- in rhesus monkeys at Yerkes and are now testing it in monkeys who have had separation from their mothers for brief periods of time during development. Finally, we have been testing how various anxiolytic compounds affect fear potentiated startle in monkeys. We have found that morphine and diazepam, but not buspirone, dose-dependently block fear potentiated startle, indicating our test is capable of picking up compounds that are anxiolytic in people.