A biologically realistic network model of acquisition and extinction of conditioned fear associations in lateral amygdala neurons.

ABSTRACT: The basolateral amygdala plays an important role in the acquisition and expression of both fear conditioning and fear extinction. To understand how a single structure could encode these "opposite" memories, we developed a biophysical network model of the lateral amygdala (LA) neurons during auditory fear conditioning and extinction. Membrane channel properties were selected to match waveforms and firing properties of pyramidal cells and interneurons in LA, from published in vitro studies. Hebbian plasticity was implemented in excitatory AMPA and inhibitory GABA(A) receptor-mediated synapses to model learning. The occurrence of synaptic potentiation versus depression was determined by intracellular calcium levels, according to the calcium control hypothesis. The model was able to replicate

SUBMITTER: Li G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2666411 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature