Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40991660›Full record

ArticlePLoS biology2025

Extinction and subsequent updating of innate fear responses to a visual looming stimulus rely on hippocampus-dependent mechanisms.

Paul B Conway, Livia Autore, Andrea Muñoz Zamora, Antoine Harel, Zijun Wang, Arman A Tavallaei, Stephen M Winston, Clara Ortega-de San Luis, James D O'Leary, Mark A Brimble and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Paul B ConwaySchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Livia AutoreSchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Andrea Muñoz ZamoraSchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Antoine HarelSchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Zijun WangSchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Arman A TavallaeiSchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Stephen M WinstonDepartment of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America.
Clara Ortega-de San LuisSchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
James D O'LearySchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Mark A BrimbleDepartment of Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America.
Gisella VetereCerebral Codes and Circuits Connectivity team, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
Tomás J RyanSchool of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0003-0121-8514

Funding

Air Force Office of Scientific Research FA9550-20-1-0316Air Force Office of Scientific Research FA9550-24-1-0258European Research CouncilIrish Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Animals rely on innate and learned behavior to respond to their environment, but how the brain balances hardwired responses with adaptive flexibility remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that innate looming stimulus responses in Mus musculus can be attenuated via repeated unreinforced presentation. This attenuation is long-lasting and generalizing, but is rapidly recovered when the stimulus is paired with an electric foot-shock. Fiber photometry recordings reveal attenuation of responses to visual looming stimuli in the SC and PAG, which do not recover following recovery of behavioral responses. Analysis of c-Fos expression uncovered a ventral CA1 (vCA1) ensemble that is active during both innate and learned looming fear responses. We report that this vCA1 engram is not necessary for innate defensive behavior but is necessary for learned fear responses. These findings reveal a novel role of the hippocampus in adapting to looming stimuli, and provide a platform for understanding the interaction of memory and instinct.

Indexed as

Extinction, PsychologicalFearHippocampusAnimalsBehavior, AnimalCA1 Region, HippocampalMaleMemoryMiceMice, Inbred C57BLPhotic StimulationProto-Oncogene Proteins c-fosProto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos

Identifiers

PMID40991660
PMCPMC12530516

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.