Sex differences in fear extinction are conditional, not categorical

In male and female mice, contextual fear extinction shows conditional sex differences: longer daily extinction (6-minute) yields greater within-session freezing reduction in males, while females show modestly higher overall freezing.

• Why it matters: Sex effects on fear extinction have been inconsistent, and it remains unclear whether differences reflect stable categorical biology or depend on how extinction and later testing are timed.
• What they did: Male and female mice underwent contextual fear conditioning, repeated within- and across-session extinction training, and later assessment of extinction retention and spontaneous recovery; females’ estrous-cycle stage was monitored daily, and extinction was tested with 3-minute versus 6-minute daily sessions.
• The result: Males and females had comparable fear acquisition, threat retention, and extinction progression across days, with no significant sex difference in spontaneous recovery and no significant estrous-cycle association with freezing.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.