Activation of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex during an uncontrollable stressor reproduces both the immediate and long-term protective effects of behavioral control.

摘要: The degree of behavioral control that an organism has over a stressor determines the and neurochemical sequelae stressor, with presence preventing typical outcomes occur when is uncontrollable (e.g. failure to learn, exaggerated fear, dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) 5-HT activation). Furthermore, experience controllable blocks consequences later stressors ("immunization"). These effects have been argued be mediated by control-induced activation ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFCv) output DRN. experiments led this interpretation all involved inactivation mPFCv muscimol, showing during eliminates stressor-resistance produced control, now acting as if it were uncontrollable. present in rats employed opposite strategy, activating stressor. microinjection picrotoxin eliminated DRN normally occurs well escape learning deficit fear follows stress. initial exposure produce immunization subjects exposed That is, conjoint act controllable. results provide strong support for argument stress-resistance mPFCv.