| Project/Area Number |
21K15212
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
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| Research Institution | Institute of Physical and Chemical Research |
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Principal Investigator |
GU XIAOWEI 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳神経科学研究センター, 研究員 (80846692)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
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| Keywords | Inference / Cognition / Emotion / mPFC / Rats / aversive inference / calcium imaging / optogenetics inhibition / emotional learning / amygdala / fear inference / rodent |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
Fear learning is important for animals to survive in environments filled with danger. Critically, when sensory events occur which are related, organisms perform a form of inference to determine whether those stimuli should be feared. To study the neural mechanism underlying emotional inference, a behavioral model in rats will be developed. Calcium imaging will be used to detect neural activity in amygdala and mPFC. Optogenetics will be applied to inactivate mPFC and its projections to amygdala. This study is vitally important for understanding and potentially treating human anxiety disorders.
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In the three years, I adapted an animal behavioral paradigm to detect the expression of aversive inference. I detected the Calcium activity of neurons in mPFC and found that neurons are responsive to both direct aversive memory and inferred aversive memory. I used optogenetics to inhibit the projections from mPFC to amygdala and found that the projection is necessary during the recall of inferred averisve memory but not the original memory. The calcium activity of mPFC neurons projecting to amygdala also specifically show increased sensory responses for inferred aversive memory during recall. Moreover, the extinction of inferred aversive memory only affect the defensive behavior for inferred aversive memory and independent from original aversive memory and the calcium activity of mPFC neurons also provide consistent evidence. The results are presented in JNS conferences of 2021, 2022 and 2023. Recently, the results were summited to Nature and now the manuscript is in revision.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
Because there are emerging evidences indicating the importance of cognitive system in human anxiety disorders (e.g. PTSD etc.), this study can provide novel information about the mechanism and inspirations for the development of new medical therapy to cure these debilitating syndromes in future.
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