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Infralimbic parvalbumin neural activity facilitates cued threat avoidance.
Yi-Yun Ho1,2, Qiuwei Yang1, Priyanka Boddu1
1Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|August 30, 2023
Summary
Infralimbic cortex (IL) parvalbumin (PV) neurons help mice suppress freezing for strategic avoidance. Their activity increases during avoidance, supporting flexible behavioral responses to threats.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cellular Neuroscience
Background:
- The infralimbic cortex (IL) is crucial for flexible behavioral responses to threats.
- Understanding the roles of specific IL neural subtypes in avoidance behavior is limited.
- Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are key inhibitory neurons within the IL.
Approach:
- Investigated the activity of IL parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in mice during active avoidance behavior.
- Utilized optogenetics to suppress PV neuron activity and assess its impact on freezing and avoidance.
- Compared PV neuron activity during avoidance with general locomotion and movement toward rewards.
Key Points:
- IL PV neuron activity increases during movement to avoid shock, emerging after initial shock exposure.
- PV neuron activity is specific to avoidance, not observed during reward-seeking or general locomotion.
- Optogenetic suppression of IL PV neurons prolongs freezing and delays avoidance behavior onset.
Conclusions:
- IL PV neurons play a critical role in active avoidance by suppressing freezing behavior.
- These findings elucidate the contribution of a specific IL neural subtype to threat-related flexible behaviors.
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