Training and scanning procedure.

<p>Animals were acclimatised to the scanning procedure using a mock scanner, conditioned and then tested during retrieval in the scanner 24 h later.</p

Effects of early life stress on brain activation.

<p>Within and between group analysis comparing BOLD response to first CS presentation over baseline in rats previously exposed to early life stress (ELS) compared to unstressed controls (CON). KE  =  cluster extent in voxels. T  =  peak voxel t-statistic. Clusters reaching <i>P</i>_corrected <0.05 are shown. R =  right, L =  left, RSG =  retrospenial granular cortex. CON, n =  14; ELS, n = 8.</p

Brain activation maps in response to a fear conditioned stimulus.

<p>(a) Activation in PG in response to CS presentation is observed in right lateral amygdala (LA) and hypothalamus (Hyp). (b) Comparison of response between groups (PG:UG) confirms LA, Hyp and granular insular cortex (GI) activation in PG in response to the CS presentation. Extinction modeling of (c) the response across CS presentations within the PG or (d) between PG and UG groups reveals right LA, Hyp, GI and somatosensory cortex activation (SSC). PG, n = 14; UG, n = 10.</p

Heart rate levels obtained during preliminary testing using a mock scanner.

<p>Data Mean ±SEM, n = 6 rats. Previous telemetry evidence suggests a resting heart rate of around 300–380 bpm in adult rats.</p

Consequence of early life stress on fear associated brain activation.

<p>Greater activation in response to CS presentation is observed in right and left lateral amygdalae (LA), hypothalamus (Hyp) and optic grey (optic) when ELS is compared to CON. (a) Coronal, (b) axial and (c) sagittal sections of rat brain. Control, n = 14; ELS, n = 8.</p

Brain activation during first CS presentation versus baseline.

<p>Significant regional brain activation (BOLD responses) to the first CS presentation compared to baseline. PG  =  paired group, UG  =  unpaired group. KE  =  cluster extent in voxels. T  =  peak voxel t-statistic. Clusters reaching <i>P</i>_corrected <0.05 are shown.*  =  significant (<i>P</i>_corrected <0.05) within lateral amygdala ROI. R =  right, L =  left, PVN =  paraventricular nucleus. PG, n =  14; UG, n = 10.</p