Figure 7. Impairments in learning and memory in Gabrd/Pomc mice.

a, A diagram of the experimental design of the fear conditioning paradigm. Minimally-handled controls or mice subjected to chronic stress underwent fear conditioning training in which they were exposed to three separate 20 sec tones paired with a foot shock. Twenty-four hours later, the percent time freezing as a measure of fear learning was measured in the context in which the foot shocks occurred or in response to the tone cue presented in a novel environment. b, There was no baseline difference in freezing behavior pre-tone during the training session. However, Gabrd/Pomc mice exhibit impairments in both contextual and cued memory, evident by a decrease in the percent time freezing in the same context in which the foot shock occurred (c) or in response to the auditory cue (d). n = 19 – 20 mice per experimental group. * denotes significance of p<0.05 using a Student’s t-test.