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. 2021 Jun 3;22(11):6050. doi: 10.3390/ijms22116050

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Behavioral responses to PSS observed in the MPST experiment. Rats were exposed to PSS. Their behavior was assessed 7 days later in an elevated plus maze (EPM) test and then one hour later in an acoustic startle response (ASR) test. Data are displayed in three dimensions: The X-axis represents time spent in the open arms (min) in the EPM test. The Y-axis represents acoustic startle amplitude in the ASR test, and the amplitude of the whole-body startle to an acoustic pulse was defined as the average of 100 one-millisecond accelerometer readings collected from pulse onset. The Z-axis represents startle habituation (percentage) in the ASR test. Rats were grouped by their behavioral responses according to the cutoff behavioral criteria (CBC) model (see Methods) as having either an extreme behavioral response (EBR) to PSS (i.e., PTSD-phenotype), a partial behavioral response (PBR) or a minimal behavioral response (MBR). Squares represent the EBR group that exhibited a significant degree of anxiety-like and avoidant behaviors on the elevated plus-maze and a pattern of exaggerated startle responses with significantly reduced habituation 7 days after PSS exposure. Squares represent the EBR group; Triangles represent the PBR group; Circles represent the MBR group [20,21].