Analysis of Prefrontal-Amygdala Synaptic Functions Using Optogenetics and Patch-Clamp Recording

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle wasting caused by a mutation in the DMD gene encoding the dystrophin protein. Dystrophin is highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), and DMD patients are often diagnosed with abnormalities in emotional and social functions. However, the pathophysiology of the CNS in DMD patients is not fully understood. The DMD mouse models show abnormalities in anxiety, fear and social behavior, and synaptic dysfunction in the amygdala, which is involved in emotional and social processing. The direct input from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to the amygdala (PFC-amygdala pathway) plays a crucial role in emotional and social processing. Hence, examination of the PFC-amygdala synaptic function is important for not only investigating the pathophysiology of related psychiatric symptoms but also for assessing the efficacy of novel treatments. Here, we present a protocol of an electrophysiological method combined with optogenetics to examine the PFC-amygdala synaptic functions in mice.