@article{ref1,
title="Nucleus Accumbens Carbachol Disrupts Olfactory and Contextual Fear-Potentiated Startle and Attenuates Baseline Startle Reactivity",
journal="Behavioural brain research",
year="2011",
author="Cousens, Graham A. and Skrobacz, Cheryl G. and Blumenthal, Anna",
volume="216",
number="2",
pages="673-680",
abstract="Although the nucleus accumbens (NAc) typically is not considered a primary component of the circuitry underlying either the acquisition or retrieval of conditioned fear, evidence suggests that this region may play some role in modulating fear-related behaviors. The goal of the present study was to explore a potential role for NAc cholinergic receptors in the expression of fear-potentiated startle (FPS) and baseline startle reactivity. Intra-NAc infusion of the broad-acting cholinergic receptor agonist, carbachol, suppressed FPS elicited by re-exposure to both a discrete odor previously paired with footshock and the conditioning context. Although carbachol elevated spontaneous motor activity, activity bouts did not account for startle suppression in carbachol-treated Ss. In addition, intra-NAc carbachol suppressed baseline startle over a range of acoustic pulse intensities in the absence of explicit fear conditioning. Collectively, these findings suggest that NAc cholinergic receptors play a role in the modulation of baseline startle reactivity, rather than in the retrieval of learned fear, and that this role is independent of overt motor activity.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0166-4328",
doi="10.1016/j.bbr.2010.09.011",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2010.09.011"
}