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Different lateral amygdala outputs mediate reactions and actions elicited by a fear-arousing stimulus

Abstract

Fear-arousing stimuli elicit innate reactions and can reinforce acquisition of new responses. We tested whether mechanisms mediating these conditioned stimulus (CS) properties were isomorphic or dissociable within the amygdala. Rats trained on a fear-conditioning task (CS paired with footshock) were then trained on an escape-from-fear task (EFF) in which the CS reinforced a locomotor response terminating the CS. Lateral nucleus (LA) lesions blocked acquisition of both conditioned freezing responses and the CS's reinforcement of a new response in the EFF task. Central nucleus (CE) lesions blocked conditioned freezing but not the EFF, whereas basal nucleus (B) lesions blocked the EFF but not conditioned freezing. Thus, activation of the LA by a CS seems to trigger conditioned reactions via CE and conditioned aversion via B activation, reduction of which reinforces new actions.

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Figure 1: Coronal unilateral images of representative lesions of amygdala subdivisions.
Figure 2: Camera lucida drawings of the extent of (a) lateral (b) central and (c) basal amygdala lesions over three rostrocaudal planes.
Figure 3: Behavioral results from animals that received paired versus unpaired CS and US presentations.
Figure 4: The effects of various amygdala lesions on the acquisition of freezing (a) and the escape-from fear task (b).
Figure 5: Models of fear conditioning.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health grants MH46516, K02 MH00956 and R37 MH38774 to J.E.L. and a HFS Fellowship to K.N. The work was also supported by a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to New York University. The authors would like to thank T.J. Matthews for discussions.

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Correspondence to K. Nader.

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Amorapanth, P., LeDoux, J. & Nader, K. Different lateral amygdala outputs mediate reactions and actions elicited by a fear-arousing stimulus. Nat Neurosci 3, 74–79 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/71145

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