TY - JOUR
T1 - Learned fear, emotional reactivity and fear of heights:
T2 - A factor analytic map from a large F2 intercross of Roman rat strains
AU - Aguilar, Raúl
AU - Gil, Luis
AU - Flint, Jonathan
AU - Gray, Jeffrey A.
AU - Dawson, Gerard R.
AU - Driscoll, Peter
AU - Giménez-Llort, Lydia
AU - Escorihuela, Rosa M.
AU - Fernández-Teruel, Alberto
AU - Tobeña, Adolf
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Rafael Torrubia for guidance in applying factor analysis techniques to the present data, and to the referees for valuable and useful comments to the manuscript. R.A. and L.G. equally contributed to the experimental work. This study was supported by DGYCIT (PM96-0068), SGR (1998-00070), and FIS (99-1230) grants. R.A., L.G., and L.G.-Ll. are supported by DGR (1998FI00158PG), BFPU (AP98-36154188) and DGU fellowships, respectively.
PY - 2002/1/1
Y1 - 2002/1/1
N2 - Anxiety-related behaviours were evaluated across various tests in a 800 F2-intercross of the Roman high- and low-avoidance inbred rats. These tests either evoke unlearned (open field [OF]; plus-maze [PM]; hole-board [HB]; spontaneous activity [A]; and acoustic startle reflex [ASR]) or learned (classical fear conditioning [CFC]; and shuttlebox avoidance conditioning [SAC]), anxious/fearful responses. Using factor analysis (oblique rotation), we obtained a six-fold solution with 14 variables derived from all tests. These six factors represented SAC, CFC, PM anxiety, PM and OF activity, ASR anxiety, plus a mixed whole of anxious and activity variables (from OF and A), respectively. In searching for a smaller number of meaningful factors, we applied a three-factor solution that coherently corresponded with differentiated facets of fearfulness, rather than with the tests. Results showed that (1) measures of SAC and CFC strongly loaded onto Factor 1, labelled as 'Learned Fear'; (2) a blend of almost all variables loaded onto Factor 2, called 'Emotional Reactivity'; and (3) open arm behaviour in the PM loaded onto Factor 3, called 'Fear of Heights.' After discussing limitations of this apparently consistent behavioural map of anxiety, we advance some connections between those factors with quantitative trait loci candidates (genetic markers) as detected in the same sample [14].
AB - Anxiety-related behaviours were evaluated across various tests in a 800 F2-intercross of the Roman high- and low-avoidance inbred rats. These tests either evoke unlearned (open field [OF]; plus-maze [PM]; hole-board [HB]; spontaneous activity [A]; and acoustic startle reflex [ASR]) or learned (classical fear conditioning [CFC]; and shuttlebox avoidance conditioning [SAC]), anxious/fearful responses. Using factor analysis (oblique rotation), we obtained a six-fold solution with 14 variables derived from all tests. These six factors represented SAC, CFC, PM anxiety, PM and OF activity, ASR anxiety, plus a mixed whole of anxious and activity variables (from OF and A), respectively. In searching for a smaller number of meaningful factors, we applied a three-factor solution that coherently corresponded with differentiated facets of fearfulness, rather than with the tests. Results showed that (1) measures of SAC and CFC strongly loaded onto Factor 1, labelled as 'Learned Fear'; (2) a blend of almost all variables loaded onto Factor 2, called 'Emotional Reactivity'; and (3) open arm behaviour in the PM loaded onto Factor 3, called 'Fear of Heights.' After discussing limitations of this apparently consistent behavioural map of anxiety, we advance some connections between those factors with quantitative trait loci candidates (genetic markers) as detected in the same sample [14].
KW - Anxiety
KW - Aversive learning
KW - Emotional reactivity
KW - Factor analysis
KW - Fear
KW - Inbred Roman rats
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036146913&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0361-9230(01)00632-3
DO - 10.1016/S0361-9230(01)00632-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 11827733
AN - SCOPUS:0036146913
SN - 0361-9230
VL - 57
SP - 17
EP - 26
JO - Brain Research Bulletin
JF - Brain Research Bulletin
IS - 1
ER -