LeDoux Lab 2013 SfN Abstracts

Program#/Poster#:	860.17/JJJ12
Title:	The impact of amygdala damage on the acquisition of instrumental rearing in an escape from threat task
Location:	Halls B-H
Presentation Time:	Wednesday, Nov 13, 2013, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Authors:	*V. CAMPESE1, C. K. CAIN2, J. E. LEDOUX1,2; 1Ctr. For Neural Sci., New York Univ., New York, NY; 2Emotional Brain Inst. at the Nathan S. Kline Inst. for Psychiatric Res., Orangeburg, NY
Abstract:	In an Escape From Threat (EFT) task, animals learn an active instrumental response that terminates exposure to an aversive Pavlovian conditioned stimulus (CS). Previous research has found that while damage to the lateral (LA) or basal (B) sub-nuclei of the amygdala impair acquisition of one-way shuttling in an EFT task, lesions of the central nucleus (CE) do not (Amorapanth, LeDoux & Nader 2000). However, the use of only pre-training lesions in this study make it difficult to tell if LA and B contribute to EFT learning, memory or both. More recently, Cain & LeDoux (2007) have shown rearing to be a more effective escape response (ER) than other species-typical behaviors (e.g., nosepoking, grooming), and unlike one-way shuttling, rearing can be acquired with an EFT procedure in a single training session, which is desirable for differentiating between different memory phases. This project examines the extent to which learning and performance of rearing as an ER are dependent upon the sub-nuclei of the amygdala in an EFT task. Electrolytic lesions of LA, B or CE were placed either prior to any behavioral training, following threat (or fear) conditioning or following EFT training. Preliminary findings suggest that damage to the amygdala influences the profile of EFT training. For example, when lesions are made prior to any behavioral training, damage to LA or B impairs and damage to CE facilitates EFT acquisition. Ongoing studies will expand on these findings to instances in which lesions are placed at other time points in training.
Support:	Sevier Laboratories