PRIMATE AMYGDALA AND THE CONTROL OF VISUAL SEARCH OF EMOTIONAL STIMULI

这个子项目是许多利用资源的研究子项目之一 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 而子项目的主要调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其它NIH来源。 列出的子项目总成本可能 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 而不是由NCRR赠款提供给子项目或子项目工作人员的直接资金。 本项目研究灵长类动物杏仁核在分配视觉注意力的情感和社会意义的目标，使用可逆失活分别操纵杏仁核复合体的两个组成部分，即中央和基底外侧核群的猴子杏仁核的作用。 自2010年9月该项目获得资助以来，我们已经获得了一只猴子，并为这只动物配备了一个可以接触两个核的腔室。 这种动物也被训练成注视计算机屏幕上的中心点，并在视觉上探索注视点处发生的图像。 我们还获得了所有的设备，同时记录细胞在杏仁核，而蝇蕈醇和荷包牡丹碱注射将减少或增加细胞的活动在两个杏仁核。研究结果有望阐明杏仁核对获取社会和情感相关信息的作用，这是设计更有效的社会情感障碍干预措施的一个重要前提。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. This project examines the role of the primate amygdala in allocating visual attention to targets of emotional and social significance using reversible inactivation to separately manipulate two components of the amygdala complex; i.e. the centromedial and basolateral nuclear groups of the monkey amygdala. Since the funding of this project in September 2010, we have acquired a monkey and have instrumented this animal with a chamber that will allow access to the two nuclei. This animal has been also trained to fixate at a center point on a computer screen and visually explore images occurring at the fixation points. We have also acquired all the equipment to simultaneously record cell in the amygdala while injections of muscimol and bicuculine will either decrease or increase activity of the cells in the two amygdala nuclei. The results are expected to clarify the contribution of the amygdala to the acquisition of socially and emotionally relevant information-a critical prerequisite in designing a more effective intervention in socio-emotional disorders.