Amygdala-Cerebellum Interactions During Associative Learning

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Memory deficits are found with many neurological disorders and the breakdown of interactions between memory systems can be particularly debilitating. Different memory systems typically combine and interact to influence everyday behavior. The amygdala and cerebellum have traditionally been viewed as essential players in different types of memory, emotional and motor memory, respectively. These memory systems have been viewed as largely independent. However, recent evidence suggests that the amygdala facilitates cerebellar learning. Our preliminary data indicate that reversible inactivatio of the amygdala in rats severely impairs acquisition and retention of eyeblink conditioning, a type of cerebellar learning. Moreover, amygdala inactivation reversibly impairs the development of learning-related neuronal activity in the cerebellum. This proposal is designed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying interactions between the amygdala and cerebellum. Aim 1 is to determine how the amygdala influences cerebellar function during eyeblink conditioning using reversible inactivation of the amygdala and multi-electrode neuronal recording in the cerebellum. Aim 2 is to determine whether or not the amygdala interacts with the cerebellum through the conditioned stimulus input pathway to the cerebellum using reversible inactivation of the amygdala, axonal tracing, electrical brain stimulation, and multi-electrode neuronal recording. Aim 3 is to determine whether or not amygdala memory consolidation is necessary for facilitating cerebellar learning using protein synthesis inhibition and NMDA receptor blockade in the amygdala and multi-electrode neuronal recording in the pontine nucleus. This project would provide an unprecedented analysis of amygdala-cerebellum interactions.