A feedback neural circuit for calibrating aversive memory strength

• Published in: Nature neuroscience Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 90 - 97
• Main Authors: Ozawa, Takaaki, Ycu, Edgar A, Kumar, Ashwani, Yeh, Li-Feng, Ahmed, Touqeer, Koivumaa, Jenny, Johansen, Joshua P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.01.2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 14/63; 631/378/1457/1284; 631/378/1595/2636; 631/378/2649/1409; Amygdala - physiology; Analysis; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Basolateral Nuclear Complex - physiology; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Techniques; Biomedicine; Brain; Conditioning, Classical - physiology; Fear - physiology; Learning - physiology; Learning ability; Memory; Memory - physiology; Neural circuitry; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neurobiology; Neurons; Neurons - physiology; Neurosciences; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Japan

The strength of aversive learning is proportional to the intensity of aversive experiences, but how brain circuits set memory strength during learning is not known. The authors show that an amygdala-to-midbrain feedback circuit conveying information about future unpleasant experiences inhibits avers...