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Prefrontal circuits signaling active avoidance retrieval and extinction.

Freddyson J Martínez-Rivera1, Christian Bravo-Rivera2, Coraly D Velázquez-Díaz3

  • 1Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, 00936-5067, Puerto Rico. freddyson.martinez@upr.edu.

Psychopharmacology
|September 28, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Avoidance learning involves distinct neural pathways. During retrieval, prelimbic cortex (PL) projections to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) are active. Extinction involves infralimbic cortex (IL) and PL projections to the ventral striatum (VS).

Keywords:
AmygdalaInfralimbicPrelimbicRetrograde tracersVentral striatumc-Fos

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a crucial role in regulating motivated behaviors, including active avoidance learning.
  • Specific subregions of the PFC, namely the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) cortices, project to downstream areas like the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and ventral striatum (VS), which are implicated in fear and reward processing, respectively.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural circuitry underlying platform-mediated active avoidance retrieval and extinction.
  • To characterize the specific roles of PL and IL projections to the BLA and VS in these processes using a combination of behavioral conditioning and neuroanatomical techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Male rats were stereotactically infused with retrograde tracers into the BLA and VS.
  • Rats underwent a platform-mediated active avoidance task, followed by either avoidance retrieval (2 unreinforced tones) or avoidance extinction (15 unreinforced tones).
  • Post-behavioral analysis involved c-Fos immunohistochemistry and fluorescent imaging to identify activated neurons and their projection targets.

Main Results:

  • Avoidance retrieval primarily activated PL neurons projecting to the BLA, with minimal activation of PL projections to the VS.
  • Avoidance extinction robustly activated IL neurons projecting to both the BLA and VS.
  • Extinction also activated PL neurons projecting to the VS, suggesting a convergence of pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Avoidance retrieval is signaled by PL projections to the BLA, potentially modulating VS activity indirectly through the BLA.
  • Avoidance extinction involves both IL and PL projections to the VS, suggesting a coordinated mechanism to inhibit avoidance behavior.
  • These findings highlight the differential involvement of PL and IL pathways in the expression and suppression of active avoidance.