Journal article
Neurons in the Amygdala with Response-Selectivity for Anxiety in Two Ethologically Based Tests
PloS one, v 6(4), pp e18739-e18739
11 Apr 2011
PMID: 21494567
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The amygdala is a key area in the brain for detecting potential threats or dangers, and further mediating anxiety. However, the neuronal mechanisms of anxiety in the amygdala have not been well characterized. Here we report that in freely-behaving mice, a group of neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) fires tonically under anxiety conditions in both open-field and elevated plus-maze tests. The firing patterns of these neurons displayed a characteristic slow onset and progressively increased firing rates. Specifically, these firing patterns were correlated to a gradual development of anxiety-like behaviors in the open-field test. Moreover, these neurons could be activated by any impoverished environment similar to an open-field; and introduction of both comfortable and uncomfortable stimuli temporarily suppressed the activity of these BLA neurons. Importantly, the excitability of these BLA neurons correlated well with levels of anxiety. These results demonstrate that this type of BLA neuron is likely to represent anxiety and/or emotional values of anxiety elicited by anxiogenic environmental stressors.
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Details
- Title
- Neurons in the Amygdala with Response-Selectivity for Anxiety in Two Ethologically Based Tests
- Creators
- Dong V. Wang - University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community CollegeFang Wang - East China Normal UniversityJun Liu - East China Normal UniversityLu Zhang - East China Normal UniversityZhiru Wang - East China Normal UniversityLongnian Lin - East China Normal University
- Publication Details
- PloS one, v 6(4), pp e18739-e18739
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurobiology and Anatomy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000289354100038
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-79954522870
- Other Identifier
- 991020100212304721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Neurosciences