Neuron
Volume 97, Issue 2, 17 January 2018, Pages 291-298.e3
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Oscillations Synchronize Amygdala-to-Prefrontal Primate Circuits during Aversive Learning

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.042Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Tone-odor conditioning induces theta phase reset in primate amygdala and dACC

  • A directional phase locking develops between amygdala spikes and dACC theta

  • Information transfer from amygdala to dACC decreases once memory stabilizes

Summary

The contribution of oscillatory synchrony in the primate amygdala-prefrontal pathway to aversive learning remains largely unknown. We found increased power and phase synchrony in the theta range during aversive conditioning. The synchrony was linked to single-unit spiking and exhibited specific directionality between input and output measures in each region. Although it was correlated with the magnitude of conditioned responses, it declined once the association stabilized. The results suggest that amygdala spikes help to synchronize ACC activity and transfer error signal information to support memory formation.

Keywords

amygdala
anterior cingulate cortex
aversive learning
fear conditioning
anxiety
PTSD
theta synchrony
prediction error
phase locking

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