Fig. 1

Neonatal learning acquisition in response to classical conditioning. Neonatal behavioral activation was recorded during each trial from PN8–12 during odor presentation for pups experiencing a predictable odor-shock (n = 24), b unpredictable odor-shock (n = 28), or c odor only control treatment (n = 27), and compared to their pre-stimulus score on that same day. Animals experiencing predictable odor-shock conditioning exhibit increased behavioral activation during odor presentation whereas the unpredictable or odor only control animals exhibit no increases in behavioral activation during odor presentation. d Odor preference analysis using the Y-maze shows that pairing of the odor and shock stimuli created an odor preference in the predictable group for the conditioned odor compared to either the unpredictable (####p < 0.0001) or odor only controls (****p < 0.0001) who showed an absence of odor preference