ReviewAmygdalar control of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system: parallel pathways to motivated behavior
Section snippets
Introduction: parallel processing in the amygdala
Prominent theories of amygdalar function have emphasized the importance of a serial flow of information from the lateral nucleus to the central nucleus (CeN) of the amygdala [1], [2]. This position is based primarily on models of the neural substrates of fear conditioning, which postulate that this circuit is critical for establishing conditioned responses to a perceived threat, as demonstrated in conditioned freezing and fear-potentiated startle paradigms [2], [3], [4], [5]. An alternative
Effects of transient blockade of sodium channels
Given the evidence that the CeN may send inhibitory polysynaptic projections to midbrain areas populated by DA neurons and that the BLA sends monosynaptic excitatory afferents to regions innervated by DA terminals, we investigated whether the CeN and/or the BLA can influence basal rates of DA efflux in both the NAc and mPFC [46]. Neural activity was blocked temporarily by reverse-dialysis of the sodium channel blocker lidocaine (2%) into either the CeN or BLA. Lidocaine is a sodium channel
Empirical evidence
In addition to observing the effects of transient inactivation of the CeN or BLA on basal DA efflux in the NAc and mPFC (Fig. 1), we have examined feeding behavior during a small meal of palatable food (3 g Froot Loops™) under the same conditions [46]. Rats that were reverse-dialyzed with lidocaine into the CeN (50 min) manipulated and tasted every morsel of food in their mouths, but ingested less than 50% and emitted the remaining amount (Fig. 3). Animals tested in the control condition (i.e.
Conclusions
The present paper has reviewed recent evidence from our laboratory addressing the roles of both the BLA and CeN in modulating basal and evoked DA efflux in the NAc and mPFC. Generally, these data suggest differential roles of the CeN and BLA in modulating forebrain DA efflux. On the basis of data from both the stimulation and inactivation experiments, the CeN appears to play a role in the tonic modulation of DA efflux in the NAc, whereas activation of the BLA causes rapid and transient
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research to AGP. JGH was funded by a K.M. Hunter/Canadian Institutes for Health Research Doctoral Training Award.
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