scholarly journals ‘Fearful-place’ coding in the amygdala-hippocampal network

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi-Seon Kong ◽  
Eun Joo Kim ◽  
Sanggeon Park ◽  
Larry S Zweifel ◽  
Yeowool Huh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dorsal Hippocampus ◽  
Dynamic Interaction ◽  
Place Cells ◽  
Spatial Coding ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Neural Integration ◽  
Realistic Situation ◽  
Hippocampal Network ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior ◽  
Stimulation Of

Animals seeking survival needs must be able to assess different locations of threats in their habitat. However, the neural integration of spatial and risk information essential for guiding goal-directed behavior remains poorly understood. Thus, we investigated simultaneous activities of fear-responsive basal amygdala (BA) and place-responsive dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) neurons as rats left the safe nest to search for food in an exposed space and encountered a simulated ‘predator.’ In this realistic situation, BA cells increased their firing rates and dHPC place cells decreased their spatial stability near the threat. Importantly, only those dHPC cells synchronized with the predator-responsive BA cells remapped significantly as a function of escalating risk location. Moreover, optogenetic stimulation of BA neurons was sufficient to cause spatial avoidance behavior and disrupt place fields. These results suggest a dynamic interaction of BA’s fear signalling cells and dHPC’s spatial coding cells as animals traverse safe-danger areas of their environment.

scholarly journals Modulation of neuroplasticity using optogenetic stimulation of the dorsal hippocampus

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Ivanovna Fomochkina ◽  
Tigran Romaevich Petrosyan ◽  
Anatoly Vladimirovich Kubyshkin ◽  
Vitalina Igorevna Petrenko ◽  
Leia Evgenievna Sorokina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dorsal Hippocampus ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

scholarly journals Amygdala controls saccade and gaze physically, motivationally, and socially

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazutaka Maeda ◽  
Ken-ichi Inoue ◽  
Jun Kunimatsu ◽  
Masahiko Takada ◽  
Okihide Hikosaka
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Contralateral Side ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
List Type ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Control Behavior ◽  
Emotional Events ◽  
Goal Directed Behavior ◽  
New Framework ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractThe amygdala is uniquely sensitive to emotional events. However, it is not understood whether and how the amygdala uses such emotional signals to control behavior, especially eye movements. We therefore injected muscimol (GABAAagonist) into the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) in monkeys. This unilateral temporary inactivation suppressed saccades to contralateral but not ipsilateral targets, resulting in longer latencies, hypometric amplitudes, and slower velocity. During free viewing of movies, gaze was distributed mostly in the ipsilateral hemifield. Moreover, CeA inactivation disrupted the tendency of gaze toward social interaction images, which were normally focused on continuously. Conversely, optogenetic stimulation of CeA facilitated saccades to the contralateral side. These findings suggest that CeA controls spatially selective gaze and attention in emotional contexts, and provide a new framework for understanding psychiatric disorders related to amygdala dysfunction.HighlightsCentral amygdala facilitates contralateral saccades selectively.Saccade facilitation is related to motivational goals and social interaction.The amygdala thus controls goal-directed behavior based on emotional contexts.

scholarly journals Incerto-thalamic modulation of fear via GABA and dopamine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Venkataraman ◽  
Sarah C. Hunter ◽  
Maria Dhinojwala ◽  
Diana Ghebrezadik ◽  
JiDong Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Regions ◽  
Zona Incerta ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Fear Generalization ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractFear generalization and deficits in extinction learning are debilitating dimensions of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Most understanding of the neurobiology underlying these dimensions comes from studies of cortical and limbic brain regions. While thalamic and subthalamic regions have been implicated in modulating fear, the potential for incerto-thalamic pathways to suppress fear generalization and rescue deficits in extinction recall remains unexplored. We first used patch-clamp electrophysiology to examine functional connections between the subthalamic zona incerta and thalamic reuniens (RE). Optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic ZI → RE cell terminals in vitro induced inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs) in the RE. We then combined high-intensity discriminative auditory fear conditioning with cell-type-specific and projection-specific optogenetics in mice to assess functional roles of GABAergic ZI → RE cell projections in modulating fear generalization and extinction recall. In addition, we used a similar approach to test the possibility of fear generalization and extinction recall being modulated by a smaller subset of GABAergic ZI → RE cells, the A13 dopaminergic cell population. Optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic ZI → RE cell terminals attenuated fear generalization and enhanced extinction recall. In contrast, optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic ZI → RE cell terminals had no effect on fear generalization but enhanced extinction recall in a dopamine receptor D1-dependent manner. Our findings shed new light on the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of ZI-located cells that contribute to adaptive fear by increasing the precision and extinction of learned associations. In so doing, these data reveal novel neuroanatomical substrates that could be therapeutically targeted for treatment of PTSD.

scholarly journals Involvement of MCH-oxytocin neural relay within the hypothalamus in murine nursing behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko Kato ◽  
Harumi Katsumata ◽  
Ayumu Inutsuka ◽  
Akihiro Yamanaka ◽  
Tatsushi Onaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Virgin Female ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Hypothalamic Nucleus ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Hypothalamic Area ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Genetic Ablation ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractMultiple sequential actions, performed during parental behaviors, are essential elements of reproduction in mammalian species. We showed that neurons expressing melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) are more active in rodents of both sexes when exhibiting parental nursing behavior. Genetic ablation of the LHA-MCH neurons impaired maternal nursing. The post-birth survival rate was lower in pups born to female mice with congenitally ablated MCH neurons under control of tet-off system, exhibiting reduced crouching behavior. Virgin female and male mice with ablated MCH neurons were less interested in pups and maternal care. Chemogenetic and optogenetic stimulation of LHA-MCH neurons induced parental nursing in virgin female and male mice. LHA-MCH GABAergic neurons project fibres to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) neurons. Optogenetic stimulation of PVN induces nursing crouching behavior along with increasing plasma oxytocin levels. The hypothalamic MCH neural relays play important functional roles in parental nursing behavior in female and male mice.

Direct optogenetic stimulation of smooth muscle cells to control gastric contractility

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Patejdl ◽  
M Vogt ◽  
B Schulz ◽  
A Wagdi ◽  
J Lebert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

Striatal dopamine mediates hallucination-like perception in mice

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 372 (6537) ◽  
pp. eabf4740
Author(s):  
K. Schmack ◽  
M. Bosc ◽  
T. Ott ◽  
J. F. Sturgill ◽  
A. Kepecs
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Striatal Dopamine ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
High Confidence ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Central Symptom ◽  
Stimulation Of

Hallucinations, a central symptom of psychotic disorders, are attributed to excessive dopamine in the brain. However, the neural circuit mechanisms by which dopamine produces hallucinations remain elusive, largely because hallucinations have been challenging to study in model organisms. We developed a task to quantify hallucination-like perception in mice. Hallucination-like percepts, defined as high-confidence false detections, increased after hallucination-related manipulations in mice and correlated with self-reported hallucinations in humans. Hallucination-like percepts were preceded by elevated striatal dopamine levels, could be induced by optogenetic stimulation of mesostriatal dopamine neurons, and could be reversed by the antipsychotic drug haloperidol. These findings reveal a causal role for dopamine-dependent striatal circuits in hallucination-like perception and open new avenues to develop circuit-based treatments for psychotic disorders.

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