2023 Fiscal Year Annual Research 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 | mPFC / aversive inference / calcium imaging / optogenetics inhibition |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In the three years study of the mechanisms underlying the inference of aversive memory, I adapted an behavioral paradigm in which rats can stably show defensive behavior to inferred sensory stimulus according to previous associations between the sensory stimuli before the aversive conditioning. During the formation of inferred aversive memory, I detected the neural activity of mPFC, which is a brain region receives inputs from multiple sensory-related regions and project to amygdala, a brain region proved to be critical in emotional process. I found that the neurons in mPFC have significant response to sensory inputs during aversive inference. Futhermore, by using optogenetics to inhibit the projection from mPFC to amygdala, the recall of inferred aversive memory was impaired.
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