Safety signals are learned cues that predict the nonoccurrence of an aversive event. As such,
safety signals are potent inhibitors of fear and stress responses. Investigations of safety …

The amygdala has traditionally been associated with fear, mediating the impact of negative
emotions on memory. However, this view does not fully encapsulate the function of the …

Rationale Impulsivity is associated with a number of psychiatric disorders, most notably
attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Drugs that augment catecholamine function (eg …

Rationale Previous work has demonstrated a profound effect of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid
receptor (NMDAR) antagonism in the infralimbic cortex (IL) to selectively elevate impulsive …

Actions expressed prematurely without regard for their consequences are considered
impulsive. Such behaviour is governed by a network of brain regions including the prefrontal …

Feeding requires the integration of homeostatic drives with emotional states relevant to food
procurement in potentially hostile environments. The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) …

Safety signals provide “relief” through predicting the absence of an aversive event. At issue
is whether these signals also act as instrumental reinforcers. Four experiments were …

Safety signals (SSs) have been shown to reinforce instrumental avoidance behavior due to
their ability to signal the absence of an aversive event; however, little is known of their neural …

Salt intake is an essential dietary requirement, but excessive consumption is implicated in
hypertension and associated conditions. Little is known about the neural circuit mechanisms …

This protocol details a free‐operant avoidance paradigm that has been developed to evaluate
the relative contribution of different sources of reinforcement of avoidance behavior that …