NETWORK BETWEEN THE AMYGDALA AND CORTEX FOR THE AFFECTIVE CONTROL OF VISION

恐惧和焦虑驱动的行为是由一个分布式网络中的相互作用引起的， 杏仁核是大脑皮层的功能特化区域，杏仁核在其中发挥着重要作用， 将感官刺激与情感意义联系起来为了避免被发现， 当一个隐约可见的视觉刺激模仿一个接近的物体时。或者，当 当被捕食者发现时，最好的生存选择可能是在认知的引导下逃跑。 空间地图空间地图是从地标和路径积分信号积累 从物体特征和视觉流模式中， 环境实现这一点的皮层网络涉及来自视觉的输入， “哪里”和“什么”流到海马旁皮质的嗅后区（POR）66， 输出通过内侧和外侧内嗅皮质流到海马体。我们的发现在 小鼠显示，POR是唯一的视觉区域，与大脑皮层有很强的相互联系。 杏仁核，这表明POR处理有关情感突出对象的信息， 指导适当的刺激措施。为了直接支持这一观点，我们发现POR 携带形状物体运动和自我运动信号我们的结果进一步表明，POR 含有2型毒蕈碱乙酰胆碱受体（M2）阳性和M2阴性模块， 只有M2阴性的中间斑接受来自杏仁核的输入。这表明 在V1中填充有运动选择单元33的中间片优选地通过以下方式来调谐： 杏仁核的情感输入为了验证这一假设，我们建议确定 POR和杏仁核之间的连接网络。此外，我们建议使用单个单元 在清醒的头部固定的小鼠中POR的记录，以及来自 杏仁核，以检查是否获得反应的动态变化的线索和静态 对M2正和M2负模块中的对象特征进行差分调制。我们预计 发现杏仁核选择性地影响对物体运动的反应， interpatches，而不是对M2-postivite patches中表示的形状特征的响应。如果 如果预期得到证实，我们将得出结论，杏仁核选择性地增加了 显著性的相干移动对象元素，提高了他们的识别和优化， 捕食者从藏身处猛扑而出的逃跑路线。

Fear- and anxiety-driven behaviors result from interactions in a distributed network of functionally specialized areas of the cortex in which the amygdala plays an essential role by connecting sensory stimuli with their emotional meaning. To avoid detection, mice freeze in place when a looming visual stimulus mimics an approaching object. Alternatively, when detected by a predator the best option for survival may be to escape guided by a cognitive spatial map. Spatial maps are derived from landmark- and path integration-signals accumulated in the cortex from object features and optic flow patterns while navigating through the environment. The cortical network by which this is achieved involves inputs from the visual `where' and `what' streams to the postrhinal area (POR)66 of the parahippocampal cortex, whose output flows through the medial and lateral entorhinal cortex to the hippocampus. Our findings in mice show that POR is the only visual area with strong reciprocal connections with the amygdala, suggesting that POR processes information about emotionally salient objects and guides stimulus-appropriate actions. In direct support for this notion, we have found that POR carries shape, object-motion and self-motion signals. Our results further show that POR contains type 2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M2)-positive and M2-negative modules of which only the M2-negative interpatches receive input from the amygdala. This suggests that interpatches, which in V1 are packed with motion selective cells33, are preferentially tuned by affective inputs from the amygdala. To test this hypothesis we propose to determine the connectional network between POR and the amygdala. Further, we propose to use single unit recordings in POR in awake head-fixed mice, and optogenetic manipulations of inputs from the amygdala, to examine whether the gain of responses to dynamically changing cues and static object features in M2-positive and M2-negative modules is differentially modulated. We expect to find that the amygdala selectively influences responses to object-motion in M2-negative interpatches rather than responses to shape-features represented in M2-postivite patches. If the expectations are confirmed, we will conclude that the amygdala selectively increases the saliency of coherently moving object elements, improves their recognition and optimizes the route13 of escape from of a predator pouncing from a hideout.