Neurobehavioural Effects of Fear Conditioning: Linking Freezing Behaviour to Prefrontal EEG Patterns

Abstract

Stress has become an unavoidable part of daily life, shaping both behavioural and neural responses. This study investigated how fear conditioning influences defensive behaviour in rats, integrating standardiszed behavioural paradigms with prefrontal EEG monitoring. Twenty male Sprague Dawley rats were evaluated pre- and post-conditioning using Open Field, Elevated Plus Maze, Forced Swim, and Novel Object Recognition tasks. Fear conditioning produced a significant increase in anxiety and depression indicators, with conditioned rats spending less time in the open arms of the maze and more time immobile during forced swim testing. No significant differences emerged in exploratory or cognitive performance. EEG analyses revealed no global differences in prefrontal cortical activity between pre- and post-conditioning states. However, significant increases across all frequency bands were observed during freezing episodes, indicating a state-dependent modulation of prefrontal activity linked to defensive mechanisms. These findings suggest that aversive conditioning selectively impacts emotional and defensive domains rather than cognitive performance, with freezing behaviour reflecting a neurophysiological signature of adaptive coping strategies.