Cover image

In this issue, Lopez-Kawa and Lattal (LearnMem a054097.125) report that both male and female rats exhibit persistent effects of trauma, assessed through stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL). However, the strength of SEFL in female rats is influenced by the phase of the estrous cycle at the time of trauma. The cover image represents this concept: a rat in a neutral context encounters its reflection, which reveals a past traumatic experience (i.e., a battery of foot shocks delivered in a different context) along with cytological markers indicative of the estrous cycle phase during trauma. The mirrored image symbolizes the way past trauma and hormonal state shape future stress responses.