Operant Fear Conditioning OFC

The Operant Fear Conditioning (OFC) system by Ugo Basile uniquely combines classical fear conditioning with operant learning paradigms in a single chamber. Animals experience both fear (shock-based) and reward (pellet-based) contexts, enabling complex behavioral assessments that mirror real-world decision-making under threat.

Equipped with nose poke sensors, a built-in pellet dispenser, and a precision constant-current shocker, the OFC allows researchers to dissect the interaction between aversive and appetitive motivational systems. The adjustable shock intensity (0.1–3 mA) ensures humane and reproducible conditioning protocols.

Key Features

• Combined fear and operant conditioning in one chamber
• Integrated pellet dispenser and nose poke sensors
• Shock intensity range: 0.1–3 mA in 0.1 mA steps
• Interchangeable floor and context cues
• Software-driven protocol management

Research Applications

The Operant Fear Conditioning system bridges classic Pavlovian fear conditioning with operant learning frameworks, enabling complex behavioral dissections of threat-related decision-making. It is particularly powerful for studying the motivational competition between fear and reward — a key feature of anxiety, PTSD, and addiction research.

• Fear conditioning and extinction: Assessing fear acquisition, consolidation, and extinction across operant contexts
• Reward-threat conflict: Studying decision-making when appetitive and aversive contingencies compete
• PTSD models: Evaluating fear generalisation and persistence
• Pharmacological screening: Testing anxiolytics, antidepressants, and cognitive enhancers
• Translational neuroscience: Bridging rodent behavioral phenotypes with human clinical endpoints