Dissecting the role of anterior cingulate cortex projections to the amygdala in observational learning

 描述(申请人提供)：开始了解大脑如何支持一系列复杂的社会行为的一种方法是研究与生俱来的、进化上保守的社会行为。观察性学习是一种为生存提供明显优势的社会行为，因此在包括人类、非人类灵长类动物和啮齿动物在内的各种物种中都高度保守。观察性学习可以被定义为一种动物通过观察另一种动物的直接经验来了解其环境的能力。各种研究提供的证据表明，杏仁核和前扣带回(ACC)是观察性学习所必需的。然而，这些区域在观察性学习过程中的时间动态以及它们相互作用以支持观察性学习的方式仍然未知。该项目建议使用小鼠行为模型来表征观察性学习过程中的ACC神经活动。它还旨在确定在观察性学习过程中投射到杏仁核的ACC神经元的作用。最后，该项目将确定在观察性学习期间向杏仁核投射ACC的必要性。我们将使用啮齿动物行为分析技术、活体单个单位电生理学、光遗传学和状态空间统计方法来实现这些目标。该项目与国家心理健康研究所的战略相一致，以了解“为理解精神障碍提供基础的基本大脑行为过程”。该项目的结果将有助于对大脑如何处理社交信息以及如何在自闭症、社交焦虑症、焦虑、抑郁和精神分裂症等精神疾病中受到干扰有一个基本的了解。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): One approach to begin understanding how the brain supports a complex array of social behaviors is to study innate, evolutionarily conserved social behaviors. Observational learning is one such social behavior that offers a distinct advantage for survival and is thus highly conserved across various species including humans, non-human primates, and rodents. Observational learning can be defined as an animal's ability to learn about its environment through observing the direct experience of another animal. Various studies provide evidence that the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are necessary for observational learning. However, the temporal dynamics of these regions during observational learning and the manner in which they interact with each other to support observational learning remains unknown. This project proposes the use of a mouse behavioral model to characterize ACC neural activity during observational learning. It also aims to define the role of ACC neurons that project to the amygdala during observational learning. Lastly, the project will determine the necessity of ACC projections to the amygdala during observational learning. We will employ rodent behavioral analysis techniques, in vivo single unit electrophysiology, optogenetics, and state-space statistical approaches in order to achieve these aims. This project is aligned with the National Institute of Mental Health's strategy to understand the "basic brain-behavior processes that provide the foundation for understanding mental disorders". The results from this project will help to provide a basic understanding of how the brain processes social information and how this might be perturbed in mental illnesses such as autism, social anxiety disorder, anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.