Fig. 1: Dynamics of threat-coping behaviors in the monster paradigm.
From: Dopamine in the tail of the striatum facilitates avoidance in threat–reward conflicts
a, Schematics of the monster paradigm (left) and test schedule (right). b, A heat map depicting the returning point, defined as the furthest point along the arena that the mouse reached before returning to the shelter, for each mouse and each trial. c, A time course of avoidance rates (mean ± s.e.m.). d, Left: the rates of predictive avoidance were higher in the monster sessions than in the control sessions (P = 2.7 × 10−4, paired t-test). The error bars represent the s.e.m. The regression coefficients of the rate of predictive avoidance with trial number in day 1 for each animal are significantly positive (P = 6.1 × 10−6, two-sided t-test). Right: the returning points in error trials gradually decreased across trials (P = 1.9 × 10−5, two-sided t-test, the regression coefficients of the returning points with trial number in day 1 for each animal). The center of box plot shows the median, the edges are the 25th and 75th percentiles and the whiskers are the most extreme data points. e, Different groups of mice experienced a session with a moving or motionless static monster on day 1 and were tested avoidance of static monster on day 2. The experiences of a moving monster on day 1 increased failure to acquire reward in the presence of a static monster on the next day (moving → static versus static → static, P = 2.1 × 10−3; moving → static versus moving → no, P = 4.5 × 10−3, two-sided t-test, n = 6 animals for each). The center of box plot shows the median, the edges are the 25th and 75th percentiles and the whiskers are the most extreme data points. f, Regression coefficients of avoidance rate (P = 2.3 × 10−7, t-test (left)) and the rate of reactive avoidance (P = 4.9 × 10−8, two-sided t-test (right)) with trial number in monster sessions (days 1–3) for each animal. The center of box plot shows the median, the edges are the 25th and 75th percentiles and the whiskers are the most extreme data points. g, Left and center: the escape duration was shorter in the monster sessions than in control sessions (P = 3.6 × 10−7, paired two-sided t-test). The error bars represent the s.e.m. Right: the regression coefficients of escape duration with trial number in monster sessions (P = 0.87, two-sided t-test). The center of the box plot shows the median, the edges are the 25th and 75th percentiles and the whiskers are the most extreme data points. The monster icons indicate monster sessions and the circle icons indicate no monster sessions. n = 24 animals for all except for e. n.s., not significant. *P < 0.05.
