The amygdala & cortical receptive field plasticity

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究项目的目标是确定基底外侧杏仁核（BLA）参与调节大脑皮层中生理记忆的强度，如初级听觉皮层（ACx）中学习诱导的感受野（RF）可塑性所示。拟议的实验将调查的作用，BLA的诱导和巩固RF塑性。此外，本研究还将探讨胆碱能基底核（NB）参与介导BLA对皮质可塑性的影响。已经确定的是，学习在初级听觉皮层的声频感受野中产生高度系统性的变化。调节被改变以增加对行为上重要的刺激的响应和表示（例如，经典条件反射中的CS），同时减少对其他频率的反应。RF可塑性具有记忆的主要特征：它是联想的，高度特异性的，快速诱导的，持久的（数月），并表现出巩固，即强度随时间和天数增加。所提出的研究的一个中心问题是BLA是否调制学习诱导的皮质RF可塑性。有大量证据表明，BLA调节各种训练的记忆巩固，并且这种调节涉及BLA对其他脑区的影响，包括尾状核、海马和内嗅皮层。鉴于广泛的证据表明，BLA调制记忆过程中的其他大脑区域，包括皮层区域，拟议的实验将检查的作用，BLA调制的诱导和巩固的RF可塑性在听觉皮层，并确定是否调制的影响是由激活NB介导的。这些发现将提供有关BLA对记忆巩固的调节影响的途径和系统的重要新信息，从而增加对调节重要经验记忆形成的大脑系统的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research project is to determine the involvement of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in modulating the strength of physiological memory in the cerebral cortex, as indexed by learning-induced receptive field (RF) plasticity in the primary auditory cortex (ACx). The proposed experiments will investigate the role of the BLA in the induction and consolidation of RF plasticity. Moreover, the research will examine the involvement of the cholinergic nucleus basalis (NB) in mediating the BLA effects on cortical plasticity. It is well established that learning produces highly systematic changes in acoustic frequency receptive fields in the primary auditory cortex. Tuning is altered to increase response to and representation of behaviorally important stimuli (e.g., CS in classical conditioning) while reducing responses to other frequencies. RF plasticity has major characteristics of memory: it is associative, highly specific, rapidly induced, long-lasting (months) and exhibits consolidation, that is, increases in strength over hours and days. A central issue addressed by the proposed studies is whether the BLA modulates learning-induced cortical RF plasticity. There is extensive evidence that the BLA modulates the consolidation of memory for various kinds of training and that the modulation involves BLA influences on other brain regions including the caudate nucleus, hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. In view of the extensive evidence that the BLA modulates memory processes in other brain regions, including cortical regions, the proposed experiments will examine the role of the BLA in modulating the induction and consolidation of RF plasticity in the auditory cortex and determine whether the modulatory influences are mediated by activation of the NB. The findings will provide significant new information concerning the pathways and systems mediating the regulating influence of the BLA on memory consolidation and, thus, increase understanding of brain systems modulating the formation of memory for significant experiences.