Cerebellar contribution to fear extinction (A21)

• Subject Area: Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316803389

One of the key elements to survival is the ability of our brain to recall threatening situations from the past so our self-defense mechanism can respond swiftly. Cerebellar lesion and stimulation studies in rodents and humans suggest a contribution of the cerebellum to anxiety and fear extinction behavior. However, a clear understanding of the circuitry and learning mechanisms within the cerebellum contributing to fear extinction is missing. Thus, the goal of this project is to investigate the cerebellar contribution and its intrinsic mechanisms to fear extinction in wildtype and cerebellar degenerative mouse models for episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). We will attempt to rescue fear conditioning, extinction or retrieval deficits with optogenetic, chemogenetic and pharmacological strategies in the next funding period.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1280: Extinction Learning
• Applicant Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Melanie D. Mark