Cited by 348Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Dopamine-mediated modulation of odour-evoked amygdala potentials during pavlovian conditioning

Rosenkranz, J. Amiel, Grace, Anthony A.·2002·Nature

Abstract

Pavlovian conditioning results when an innocuous stimulus, such as an odour, is paired with a behaviourally relevant stimulus, such as a foot-shock, so that eventually the former stimulus alone will elicit the behavioural response of the latter. The lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LAT) is necessary for the emotional memory formation in this paradigm. Enhanced neuronal firing in LAT to conditioned stimuli emerge in parallel with the behavioural changes and are dependent on local dopamine. To study the changes in neuronal excitability and synaptic drive that contribute to the pavlovian conditioning process, here we used in vivo intracellular recordings to examine LAT neurons during pavlovian conditioning in rats. We found that repeated pairings of an odour with a foot-shock resulted in enhanced post-synaptic potential (PSP) responses to the odour and increased neuronal excitability. However, a non-paired odour displayed PSP decrement. The dopamine antagonist haloperidol blocked the PSP enhancement and associated increased neuronal excitability, without reversing previous conditioning. These results demonstrate that conditioning and habituation processes produce opposite effects on LAT neurons and that dopamine is important in these events, consistent with its role in emotional memory formation.

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Crossref · 10.1038/417282a

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  • Several lines of indirect evidence support the idea that this plasticity occurs as a result of a Hebbian mechanism through which depolarization of LA pyramidal neurons by the shock US coincident with weaker activation of the same cells by auditory CS inputs results in fear learning.

    “Several lines of indirect evidence support the idea that this plasticity occurs as a result of a Hebbian mechanism through which depolarization of LA pyramidal neurons by the shock US coincident with weaker activation of the same cells by auditory CS inputs results in fear learning (8–18).”
  • It is widely believed that LA plasticity underlying fear learning occurs as a result of a Hebbian mechanism whereby the shock US directly depolarizes LA pyramidal cells that are concurrently activated by weaker CS inputs, resulting in potentiation of the CS input synapses.

    “It is widely believed that LA plasticity underlying fear learning occurs as a result of a Hebbian mechanism whereby the shock US directly depolarizes LA pyramidal cells that are concurrently activated by weaker CS inputs, resulting in potentiation of the CS input synapses (5, 6, 9, 31).”
  • Dopamine is required for association between stimuli and aversive events in the amygdala.

    “dopamine is required for association between stimuli and aversive events in the amygdala [69].”

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Authors
Rosenkranz, J. A., & Grace, A. A.
Affiliations
University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author
Rosenkranz, J. Amiel
Venue
Nature
Published
2002-05
Volume
417
Issue
6886
Pages
282-287
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W1979166255
Cited by
348
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 15
FWCI
11.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
dopamine, classical conditioning, lateral amygdala, emotional memory, neuronal excitability, synaptic drive, haloperidol, habituation, conditioned stimulus, footshock, synaptic potentiation
MeSH terms
Amygdala, Analysis of Variance, Anesthesia, Animals, Conditioning, Classical, Dopamine, Electroshock, Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory, Haloperidol, Male, Memory, Neurons, Odorants, Receptors, Dopamine, Smell, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Dopamine Antagonists, Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials, Rats

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