Background
The lateral (LA) and central (CE), but not basal (B), amygdala nuclei are necessary
for reactive Pavlovian fear responses such as freezing. The amygdala also plays a
key role in the acquisition and expression of active instrumental defensive behaviors,
but little is known about the specific roles of amygdala nuclei. Using a Sidman active
avoidance (AA) task, we examined the necessity of LA, B, and CE for learning and performance.
Pavlovian freezing was simultaneously assessed to examine the contributions of amygdala
nuclei to the transition from reactive to active defensive responding.
Methods
Rats received electrolytic lesions of LA, CE, or B before AA training, or following
overtraining. Rats that expressed low levels of AA performance during training received
bilateral electrolytic lesions to CE to eliminate competing freezing reactions and
rescue AA. AA performance and freezing were assessed.
Results
Damage to LA and B, but not CE, impaired the acquisition of AA. Performance of AA
became amygdala-independent following overtraining. CE lesions abolished Pavlovian
freezing and rescued instrumental AA performance in rats that expressed low levels
of avoidance responses and high levels of freezing during training.
Conclusions
Although the acquisition of Pavlovian fear depends on LA and CE, but not B, acquisition
of instrumental AA is dependent on LA and B, but not CE. CE-dependent Pavlovian processes
that control freezing can constrain avoidance behavior. Performance of well-trained
AA becomes independent of all three amygdala nuclei. Thus, it appears that different
output pathways of LA mediate reactive and active conditioned defensive responding.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 28, 2010
Accepted:
December 1,
2009
Received in revised form:
December 1,
2009
Received:
October 4,
2009
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- Amygdala Activity, Fear, and Anxiety: Modulation by StressBiological PsychiatryVol. 67Issue 12
- PreviewOver the past approximately 30 years, the neuroscience community has made terrific strides in its understanding of the small region in the temporal lobe named for its peculiar almond shape, the amygdala. This area now provides among the best examples of how neural circuits control specific behaviors. In terms of our depth of understanding of its afferent and efferent connections, the role of incoming signals in modulating emotion-related behavior, and the functional and anatomic results of its projection patterns, the detailed understanding of the amygdala is unsurpassed.
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