basolateral amygdala

Stress deceleration theory: chronic adolescent stress exposure results in decelerated neurobehavioral maturation

Normative development in adolescence indicates that the prefrontal cortex is still under development thereby unable to exert efficient top-down inhibitory control on subcortical regions such as the basolateral amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. This imbalance in the developmental trajectory between cortical and subcortical regions is implicated in expression of the prototypical impulsive, compulsive, reward seeking and risk-taking adolescent behavior. Here we demonstrate that a chronic mild unpredictable stress procedure during adolescence in male Wistar rats arrests the normal behavioral maturation such that they continue to express adolescent-like impulsive, hyperactive, and compulsive behaviors into late adulthood. This arrest in behavioral maturation is associated with the hypoexcitability of prelimbic cortex (PLC) pyramidal neurons and reduced PLC-mediated synaptic glutamatergic control of BLA and nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) neurons that lasts late into adulthood. At the same time stress exposure in adolescence results in the hyperexcitability of the BLA pyramidal neurons sending stronger glutamatergic projections to the NAcC. Chemogenetic reversal of the PLC hypoexcitability decreased compulsivity and improved the expression of goal-directed behavior in rats exposed to stress during adolescence, suggesting a causal role for PLC hypoexcitability in this stress-induced arrested behavioral development. (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.21.469381v1.abstract)

Structures in space and time - Hierarchical network dynamics in the amygdala

In addition to its role in the learning and expression of conditioned behavior, the amygdala has long been implicated in the regulation of persistent states, such as anxiety and drive. Yet, it is not evident what projections of the neuronal activity capture the functional role of the network across such different timescales, specifically when behavior and neuronal space are complex and high-dimensional. We applied a data-driven dynamical approach for the analysis of calcium imaging data from the basolateral amygdala, collected while mice performed complex, self-paced behaviors, including spatial exploration, free social interaction, and goal directed actions. The seemingly complex network dynamics was effectively described by a hierarchical, modular structure, that corresponded to behavior on multiple timescales. Our results describe the response of the network activity to perturbations along different dimensions and the interplay between slow, state-like representation and the fast processing of specific events and actions schemes. We suggest hierarchical dynamical models offer a unified framework to capture the involvement of the amygdala in transitions between persistent states underlying such different functions as sensory associative learning, action selection and emotional processing. * Work done in collaboration with Jan Gründemann, Sol Fustinana, Alejandro Tsai and Julien Courtin (@theLüthiLab)

Acetylcholine dynamics in the basolateral amygdala during reward learning

Anterior Cingulate inputs to nucleus accumbens control the social transfer of pain and analgesia

Empathy plays a critical role in social interactions, and many species, including rodents, display evolutionarily conserved behavioral antecedents of empathy. In both humans and rodents, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) encodes information about the affective state of others. However, little is known about which downstream targets of the ACC contribute to empathy behaviors. We optimized a protocol for the social transfer of pain behavior in mice and compared the ACC-dependent neural circuitry responsible for this behavior with the neural circuitry required for the social transfer of two related states: analgesia and fear. We found that a 1-hour social interaction between a bystander mouse and a cagemate experiencing inflammatory pain led to congruent mechanical hyperalgesia in the bystander. This social transfer led to activation of neurons in the ACC and several downstream targets, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which was revealed by monosynaptic rabies virus tracing to be directly connected to the ACC. Bidirectional manipulation of activity in ACC-to-NAc inputs influenced the acquisition of socially transferred pain. Further, the social transfer of analgesia also depended upon ACC-NAc inputs. By contrast, the social transfer of fear instead required activity in ACC projections to the basolateral amygdala. This shows that mice rapidly adopt the sensory-affective state of a social partner, regardless of the valance of the information (pain, fear, or pain relief). We find that the ACC generates specific and appropriate empathic behavioral responses through distinct downstream targets. More sophisticated understanding of evolutionarily conserved brain mechanisms of empathy will also expedite the development of new therapies for the empathy-related deficits associated with a broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Dopamine projections to the basolateral amygdala drive the encoding of identity-specific reward memories

COSYNE 2023

Analysis of the intraamygdalar connectivity and morphological characterization of principal neurons in the basolateral amygdala

Basolateral Amygdala Circuitry During Stress Exposure

Basolateral amygdala input to anterior cingulate cortex mediates pain-avoidance behaviors

The basolateral amygdala to nucleus accumbens shell pathway encodes, but doesn’t retrieve, outcome-specific predictions to guide choice between actions

Basolateral amygdala plasticity during auditory second-order associative learning

Disentangling the molecular mechanisms underlying the retrieval and extinction of morphine withdrawal-associated memories in the basolateral amygdala and dentate gyrus

The overfunction of adenosine A2A receptors in the basolateral amygdala is necessary and sufficient to trigger behavioural modifications induced by repeated stress

Phasic and tonic locus coeruleus stimulations lead to opposite valence learning via distinct adrenoceptors in the basolateral amygdala

Quantitative molecular profiling of basolateral amygdala neurons with identified fear-related plasticity phenotypes

Representation of Ethological Events by Basolateral Amygdala Neurons

Alterations in synaptic and excitability properties of basolateral amygdala neurons in APP/PS1 AD mice

FENS Forum 2024

Basolateral amygdala activity phase-locked to neocortical slow waves underlies fear memory consolidation

FENS Forum 2024

Basolateral amygdala parvalbumin and cholecystokinin-expressing GABAergic neurons modulate depressive and anxiety-like behaviors

FENS Forum 2024

Corticosterone as a preventive treatment for a PTSD-like animal model and its impact on the neural activity of the basolateral amygdala

FENS Forum 2024

Differential neural oscillation dynamics in basolateral amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex induced by allopregnanolone and diazepam during social behavior

FENS Forum 2024

Increased fear-related behaviors following alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils injected into the basolateral amygdala or striatum in mice

FENS Forum 2024

Inhibition of prefrontal-projecting claustrum neurons by basolateral amygdala

FENS Forum 2024

Olfactory bulbectomy activates astrocytes within the basolateral amygdala and elicits allodynia in male rats

FENS Forum 2024

Possible interaction between noradrenergic transmission in the basolateral amygdala and dopaminergic transmission in the hippocampus in the modulation of initial memory consolidation

FENS Forum 2024

Rapid eye movement sleep is initiated by basolateral amygdala dopamine signaling in mice

FENS Forum 2024

Saporin-anti-vesicular GABA transporter conjugates as lesioning agents in the rat basolateral amygdala – A potential tool to create a new animal model of pathological anxiety?

FENS Forum 2024

Unbiased whole-brain screens identify an agranular insula to basolateral amygdala projection that mediates pain hypersensitivity

FENS Forum 2024