Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.

Worrying about perceived threats is a hallmark of multiple psychological disorders including anxiety. This concern about future events is particularly important when an individual is faced with an approach-avoidance conflict. Potential goals to approach are known to be represented in the dorsal hipp...

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Main Authors: Olivia L Calvin, Matthew T Erickson, Cody J Walters, A David Redish
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002954
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author Olivia L Calvin
Matthew T Erickson
Cody J Walters
A David Redish
author_facet Olivia L Calvin
Matthew T Erickson
Cody J Walters
A David Redish
author_sort Olivia L Calvin
collection DOAJ
description Worrying about perceived threats is a hallmark of multiple psychological disorders including anxiety. This concern about future events is particularly important when an individual is faced with an approach-avoidance conflict. Potential goals to approach are known to be represented in the dorsal hippocampus during theta cycles. Similarly, important information that is distant from the animal's position is represented during hippocampal high-synchrony events (HSEs), which coincide with sharp-wave ripples (SWRs). It is likely that potential future threats may be similarly represented. We examined how threats and rewards were represented within the hippocampus during approach-avoidance conflicts in rats faced with a predator-like robot guarding a food reward. We found decoding of the pseudo-predator's location during HSEs when hesitating in the nest and during theta prior to retreating as the rats approached the pseudo-predator. After the first attack, we observed new place fields appearing at the location of the robot (not the location the rat was when attacked). The anxiolytic diazepam reduced anxiety-like behavior and altered hippocampal local field potentials (LFPs), including reducing SWRs, suggesting that one potential mechanism of diazepam's actions may be through altered representations of imagined threat. These results suggest that hippocampal representation of potential threats could be an important mechanism that underlies worry and a potential target for anxiolytics.
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spelling doaj-art-ffa6522bb7584de4ae4ab739294764c92025-02-05T05:30:18ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852025-01-01231e300295410.1371/journal.pbio.3002954Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.Olivia L CalvinMatthew T EricksonCody J WaltersA David RedishWorrying about perceived threats is a hallmark of multiple psychological disorders including anxiety. This concern about future events is particularly important when an individual is faced with an approach-avoidance conflict. Potential goals to approach are known to be represented in the dorsal hippocampus during theta cycles. Similarly, important information that is distant from the animal's position is represented during hippocampal high-synchrony events (HSEs), which coincide with sharp-wave ripples (SWRs). It is likely that potential future threats may be similarly represented. We examined how threats and rewards were represented within the hippocampus during approach-avoidance conflicts in rats faced with a predator-like robot guarding a food reward. We found decoding of the pseudo-predator's location during HSEs when hesitating in the nest and during theta prior to retreating as the rats approached the pseudo-predator. After the first attack, we observed new place fields appearing at the location of the robot (not the location the rat was when attacked). The anxiolytic diazepam reduced anxiety-like behavior and altered hippocampal local field potentials (LFPs), including reducing SWRs, suggesting that one potential mechanism of diazepam's actions may be through altered representations of imagined threat. These results suggest that hippocampal representation of potential threats could be an important mechanism that underlies worry and a potential target for anxiolytics.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002954
spellingShingle Olivia L Calvin
Matthew T Erickson
Cody J Walters
A David Redish
Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.
PLoS Biology
title Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.
title_full Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.
title_fullStr Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.
title_full_unstemmed Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.
title_short Dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach-avoidance conflict.
title_sort dorsal hippocampus represents locations to avoid as well as locations to approach during approach avoidance conflict
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002954
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AT matthewterickson dorsalhippocampusrepresentslocationstoavoidaswellaslocationstoapproachduringapproachavoidanceconflict
AT codyjwalters dorsalhippocampusrepresentslocationstoavoidaswellaslocationstoapproachduringapproachavoidanceconflict
AT adavidredish dorsalhippocampusrepresentslocationstoavoidaswellaslocationstoapproachduringapproachavoidanceconflict