A prolonged stress rat model recapitulates some PTSD-like changes in sleep and neuronal connectivity

Abstract

Chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibits psychological abnormalities during fear memory processing in rodent models. To simulate long-term impaired fear extinction in PTSD patients, we constructed a seven-day model with multiple prolonged stress (MPS) by modifying manipulation repetitions, intensity, and unpredictability of stressors. Behavioral and neural changes following MPS conveyed longitudinal PTSD-like effects in rats for 6 weeks. Extended fear memory was estimated through fear retrieval induced-freezing behavior and increased long-term serum corticosterone concentrations after MPS manipulation. Additionally, memory retrieval and behavioral anxiety tasks continued enhancing theta oscillation activity in the prefrontal cortex-basal lateral amygdala-ventral hippocampus pathway for an extended period. Moreover, MPS and remote fear retrieval stimuli disrupted sleep-wake activities to consolidate fear memory. Our prolonged fear memory, neuronal connectivity, anxiety, and sleep alteration results demonstrated integrated chronic PTSD symptoms in an MPS-induced rodent model.

Artemisinin reduces PTSD-like symptoms, improves synaptic plasticity, and inhibits apoptosis in rats subjected to single prolonged stress

“…While maladaptive social interactions are common among patients with PTSD ( Collimore et al, 2010 ; Stevens and Jovanovic, 2019 ; Bjornsson et al, 2020 ; Sharma et al, 2020 ; Laban et al, 2021 ), most research on the behavioral characterization of SPS rats has focused on anxiety-like behaviors and learning memory deficits ( Schoner et al, 2017 ; Hou et al, 2021 ; Lo et al, 2023 ). Hence, the present investigation was further innovative in its focus on impaired social interactions in SPS rats.…”