Introduction Exposure to acute stress events, trauma, and intense anxiety can cause cognitive and memory deficits. This study investigated whether exposure to structured acoustic stimulation (classical music) modulates stress-induced cognitive impairments in adult zebrafish exposed to conspecific alarm substance (CAS), using the Y-maze test. Methods Fish were divided into groups, two of which were subjected to 15 days of Vivaldi’s classical music, with sound intensity between 65 and 75 dB SPL with predominantly measured frequencies between 330 and 506 Hz. One group was exposed to CAS before the acoustic stimulation (CAS + M), while another received the stimulation prior to CAS exposure (M + CAS). Additionally, two groups were exposed to CAS only, one on day 0 (CAS 0d) and the other on day 15 (CAS 15d), without any acoustic stimulation. A control group (CTL) was included without experimental manipulation. Spatial memory performance was assessed using the Y-maze test, and social behavior was evaluated through the shoaling test. Serum cortisol levels were measured as an index of physiological stress. Results Exposure to CAS impaired exploratory behavior, evidenced by reduced time spent in the novel arm of the Y-maze. Consider this parameter as the main test outcome, post-stress acoustic stimulation restored exploratory performance to levels comparable to control fish, whereas prior exposure had no protective effect. Importantly, the CAS 15d group, which experienced the same temporal interval without acoustic stimulation, showed no recovery, supporting a specific effect of post-stress acoustic exposure on behavioral outcomes. CAS exposure significantly increased cortisol levels compared to controls; however, acoustic stimulation did not significantly attenuate this endocrine response. Discussion Together, these findings indicate that prolonged exposure to structured acoustic stimulation can modulate behavioral and cognitive responses following acute stress independently of cortisol normalization. The results support the use of zebrafish as an experimental model to investigate stress-induced cognitive dysfunction and highlight the relevance of acoustic environmental factors in post-stress behavioral modulation. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and to determine the specificity of acoustic parameters involved.
Franz et al. (Fri,) studied this question.