2022 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Neural mechanism underlying cognitive operations in emotional learning systems
| Project/Area Number |
21K15212
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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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| Keywords | emotional learning / mPFC / amygdala / fear inference / rodent |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In this year, the project had significant progress. I finished all the data collection of calcium imaging during the behavioral experiments of rats. I also analyzed the recorded data by binary decoding, statistics calculation, PCA trajectory and so on. I found that neurons in prelimbic area significantly responded to conditioned sensory stimulus indicating inferred fear memory and original fear memory. Compared with rats without inferred fear memory, rats with fear inference had more neurons responding to both conditioned sensory stimulus indicating inferred fear memory and original fear memory. These co-responsive neurons may play important role in the integration of aversive memory and associated inferred memory. At the same time, prelimbic neurons projecting to amygdala showed more specific response to conditioned stimulus indicating inferred fear memory rather than original fear memory, which is consistent with previous optogenetics results. When the relationship between inferred memory and aversiveness being dissociated, there was reduction of neurons responding to both unconditioned stimulus and sensory stimulus. All these results illustrate the mechanism of cognitive system of rats brain manipulate the formation of inferred emotional expression. The results were valuable to develop new therapy for aversiveness disorder in human.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
I finished the data collection of calcium imaging for whole prelimbic area of rats during the formation of inferred fear memory. I also finished the data collection of calcium imaging for prelimbic neurons projecting to amygdala during the formation of inferred fear memory. At the same time, the data collection of calcium imaging for whole prelimbic area during the extinction of inferred fear memory was also completed.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Because the data collection has been finished, my next step will be combining all results and make a scientific story for publication. I already start to integrate all the results to write manuscript and figures. Up to now, all work well. I also plan to make some presentation about this project in international conference to get feedback for the field. Finally, I plan to get this project published in an international journal to make the world know my experimental results.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Because the experiments went smoothly, there are already enough animals cases to support the conclusions. Therefore, I saved some money from animals buying. These money can be used next fiscal year for poster preparation and travelling during international conference.
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