Lateral and Basal Amygdala Account for Opposite Behavioral Responses during the Long-Term Expression of Fearful Memories.

ABSTRACT: Memories of fearful events can be maintained throughout the lifetime of animals. Here we showed that lesions of the lateral nucleus (LA) performed shortly after training impaired the retention of long-term memories, assessed by the concomitant measurement of two dissociable defensive responses, freezing and avoidance in rats. Strikingly, when LA lesions were performed four weeks after training, rats did not show freezing to a learned threat stimulus, but they were able to direct their responses away from it. Similar results were found when the central nucleus (CeA) was lesioned four weeks after training, whereas lesions of the basal nucleus (BA) suppressed avoidance without affecting freezing. LA and BA receive parallel inputs from the auditory cortex, and optogenetic inhibition of these t

SUBMITTER: Manassero E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5765149 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature