Roles of the anterior basolateral amygdalar nucleus during exposure to a live predator and to a predator-associated context.

Roles of the anterior basolateral amygdalar nucleus during exposure to a live predator and to a predator-associated context.
Behav Brain Res. 2018 Apr 16;342:51-56
Authors: Bindi RP, Baldo MVC, Canteras NS
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala complex, which includes the lateral, basolateral and basomedial nuclei, has been implicated in innate and contextual fear responses to predator threats. In the basolateral complex, the lateral and posterior basomedial nuclei are able to process predator odor information, and they project to the predator-responsive hypothalamic circuit; lesions in these amygdalar sites reduce innate responses and practically abolish contextual fear responses to predatory threats. In contrast to the lateral and posterior basomedial nuclei, the basolateral nucleus does not receive direct information from predator olfactory cues and has no direct link to the predator-responsive hypothalamic circuit. No attempt has previously been made to determine the specific role of the basolateral nucleus in fear responses to predatory threats, and we currently addressed this question by making bilateral N-methyl-D-aspartate lesions in the anterior basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLAa), which is often regarded as being contiguous with the lateral amygdalar nucleus, and tested both innate and contextual fear in response to cat exposure. Accordingly, BLAa lesions decreased both innate and contextual fear responses to predator exp...

Source: Behavioural Brain Research - February 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Authors: Bindi RP, Baldo MVC, Canteras NS Tags: Behav Brain Res Source Type: research