Pharmacological inactivation of lOFC bidirectionally modulated the expression of avoidance at test. A. Experimental protocol separating rats based on freezing levels at the start of Ext-RP. B. Top: Infusions of fluorescent muscimol (MUS) into lOFC. Orange areas represent the minimum (dark) and the maximum (light) spread of MUS. Bottom: Representative micrograph showing a MUS infusion into lOFC. C. In high freezing rats (likely to fail Ext-RP), inactivation of lOFC reduced persistent avoidance without reducing freezing levels (Sal, n=5; Mus, n=7). D. In low freezing rat (likely to succeed in Ext-RP), inactivation of lOFC induced persistent avoidance without increasing freezing levels (Sal, n=10; Mus, n=10). Ext-RP data shown in blocks of three trials. All data are shown as mean ± SEM. **p<0.01.