EFFECT OF CATECHOLAMINES ON EMOTIONAL MEMORY

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。基于对啮齿动物的研究，我们假设当情绪记忆被回忆时，它会经历再巩固，而再巩固可以通过阻断肾上腺素能受体刺激而受损。本研究的主要目的是确定急性给药-肾上腺素能阻滞剂心得安是否会损害条件恐惧的再巩固。80名受试者将接受视觉提示和轻微手腕电击的恐惧条件反射，并使用皮肤电反应来评估条件反射。受试者将在第二天接受心得安或安慰剂的治疗，在短暂的视觉提示呈现后立即接受。第三组受试者将服用心得安而不再次暴露。第二天，各组之间将比较恐惧反应的消退情况。

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. Based on studies in rodents, we hypothesize that when an emotional memory is recalled, it undergoes reconsolidation and that reconsolidation can be impaired by blockade of beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether acute administration of the beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol impairs reconsolidation of conditioned fear. 80 subjects will undergo fear conditioning using visual cues paired with a mild wrist shock, and conditioning will be assessed using galvanic skin response. Subjects will receive either propranolol or placebo on the following day, immediately after a brief presentation of the visual cues which had previously been paired with a shock. A third group of subject will receive propranolol without cue re-exposure. On the following day, extinction of the fear response will be compared among groups.