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Fred J. Helmstetter

Professor of Psychology
Behavioral/Systems Neuroscience

• Studies on the neural circuits responsible for the acquisition and expression of aversive Pavlovian (fear) conditioning and sensitization in the rat. We are interested in the relative contributions of several brain areas including the hippocampus and amygdala as well as in the pharmacology of local circuits within these structures. Recently we have focused on changes in gene expression that are critical for forming and maintaining long-term memory. 
• Functional mapping of brain structures involved in implicit and explicit  memory using metabolic markers including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in human subjects.

Extramurally funded research assistant positions are available to qualified students. Please feel free to contact me for further details.

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Cheng, D.T., Richards, J, & Helmstetter, F.J. (2007) Activity in the human amygdala corresponds to early, rather than late period autonomic responses to a signal for shock. Learning & Memory, 14:485-490 (PDF)

Parsons, R.G., Gafford, G.M. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2006) Translational control via the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway is critical for the formation and stability of long-term fear memory in amygdala neurons. Journal of Neuroscience, 26:12977-12983 (PDF)

Cheng, D.T., Knight, D.C., Smith, C.N. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2006) Human amygdala activity during the expression of fear responses. Behavioral Neuroscience, 120:1187-1195 (PDF)

Parsons, R.G., Reidner, B.A., Gafford, G.M. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2006) The formation of auditory fear memory requires the synthesis of protein and mRNA in the auditory thalamus. Neuroscience, 141, 1163-1170 (PDF)

Parsons, R.G. , Gafford, G.M., Baruch, D.E., Riedner, B.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2006) Long term stability of fear memory depends on the synthesis of protein but not mRNA in the amygdala.  European Journal of Neuroscience, 23:1853-1859 (PDF)

Shin, M.S. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2005) Antinociception following application of DAMGO to the basolateral amygdala results from a direct interaction of DAMGO with mu opioid receptors in the amygdala. Brain Research. (PDF)

Gafford, G.M., Parsons, R.G. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2005) Effects of post training hippocampal injections of midazolam on fear conditioning. Learning & Memory, 12:573-578 (PDF)

Knight, D.C., Smith, C.N., Cheng, D.T., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2004) Learning-related patterns of brain activiation revealed using fMRI during acquisition and extinction of Pavlovian conditioned fear.  Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 4:317-325 (PDF)

Baruch, D.E., Swain, R.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2004) Effects of exercise on Pavlovian fear conditioning. Behavioral Neuroscience, 118:1123-1127 (PDF)

Knight, D.C., Cheng, D.T., Smith, C.N., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2004) Neural substrates mediating human delay and trace fear conditioning. Journal of Neuroscience, 24:218-228. (PDF)

Cheng, D.T., Knight, D.C., Smith, C.N., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2003) Functional MRI of human amygdala activity during Pavlovian fear conditioning: Stimulus processing versus response expression. Behavioral Neuroscience 117:3-10. 46.  (PDF)

Helmstetter, F.J. (2003) Genetic Substrates of Memory: Amygdala, In Learning & Memory, 2nd Ed. J.H. Byrne, editor. New York:MacMillan

Bailey, D.J., Tetzlaff, J.E., Cook, J.M., He, X. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2002) Effects of hippocampal injections of a novel ligand selective for the a5b2g2 subunits of the GABA/Benzodiazepine receptor on Pavlovian conditioning, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory,78:1-10. 45. 

Kocorowski, L.H. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2001) Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Released Within the Amygdala is Involved in Pavlovian Auditory Fear Conditioning, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 75: 149-163

Foo, H. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2000) Activation of kappa opioid receptors in the rostral ventromedial medulla blocks stress-induced antinociception, NeuroReport., 11:3349-3352 

Tershner, S.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2000) Antinociception produced by mu opioid receptor activation in the amygdala is partly dependent on activation of mu opioid and neurotensin receptors in the ventral periaqueductal gray, Brain Research, 865:17-26. 

Foo, H.  &  Helmstetter, F.J.  (2000)  Hypoalgesia elicited by a conditioned stimulus is attenuated by ‘knockdown’ of exon 1, but not exon 4, of m-opioid receptors at the rostral ventromedial medulla, Molecular Brain Research 76:282-288 

Knight, D.C., Smith, C.N., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (1999) Functional MRI of human Pavlovian fear conditioning: Patterns of activation as a function of learning, NeuroReport, 10: 3665-3670.

Foo, H. & Helmstetter, F.J. (1999) Hypoalgesia elicited by a conditioned stimulus is blocked by a m , but not a d or a k , opioid antagonist injected into the rostral ventromedial medulla, Pain.83 :427-431.

Bailey, D.J. Kim, J.J., Sun, W., Thompson, R.F. & Helmstetter, F.J. (1999) Acquisition of fear conditioning in rats requires the synthesis of mRNA in the amygdala, Behavioral Neuroscience, 113: 276-282

• Introduction to Physiological Psychology (820-254)
• Advanced Physiological Psychology (820-654)
• Proseminar in Biological Psychology (820-754)
• Topics in Physiological Psychology (820-954)
• Motivation (820-609)

• Helmstetter Lab Page
• UWM Program in Neuroscience
• UWM Psychology Department
• Functional Imaging Research Center
• Medical College of Wisconsin