Habit learning shapes activity dynamics in the central nucleus of the amygdala
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As animals perform instrumental tasks, they may develop a habit response with extended experience. Habits are automatic, inflexible, outcome value insensitive behaviors that are regulated by a network of brain regions including the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Prior work has demonstrated that the CeA governs motivational pursuit and is necessary for habit formation. However, the behavioral features that CeA neurons encode in habit formation remain relatively unknown. To address this, we first used male and female Long-Evans rats to quantify CeA cFos expression after performance of a maze task. There, we found that animals with extended training show elevated cFos expression. Then, we implanted animals with drivable silicon probes to record in-vivo single unit electrophysiological activity from the CeA as animals developed habit responding on the maze. We observed significant activity during outcome consumption late in training while also observing elevated unit activity when animals consumed outcomes of larger magnitudes. Outcome related activity did not persist during probe tests following outcome devaluation, despite animals continuing to perform the task. Together, these data add to growing evidence that suggests that the CeA is involved in motivational processes that contribute to the development of habit formation.
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The CeA is activated by rewards following overtraining.
“Rather the CeA is activated by rewards following overtraining45.”
From A dual-pathway architecture for stress to disrupt agency and promote habit (2025) · cites this paper as [45]
CeA neurons are activated by rewards with overtraining.
“This is consistent with evidence that CeA neurons are activated by rewards with overtraining45”
From A dual-pathway architecture for stress to disrupt agency and promote habit (2025) · cites this paper as [45]
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Lingawi NW, Dezfouli A, Balleine BW (2016) The psychological and physiological mechanisms of habit formation. In: The Wiley Handbook on the Cognitive Neuroscience of Learning, pp 409-441.
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A dual-pathway architecture for stress to disrupt agency and promote habit
Giovanniello, J. R., Paredes, N., Wiener, A., Ramírez-Armenta, K., Oragwam, C., Uwadia, H. O., Yu, A. L., Lim, K., Pimenta, J. S., Vilchez, G. E., et al. (2025) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08580-w · Cited by 30 · see citing works
- Authors
- Amaya, K. A., Carmichael, J. E., Townsend, E. S., Palmer, J. A., Stott, J. J., & Smith, K. S.
- Affiliations
- Dartmouth College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Amaya, Kenneth A.
- Palmer, Jensen A.
- Venue
- Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- openRxiv
- Published
- 2024-02-21
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 40
- Pages
- e0751262026-e0751262026
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4392201548
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-sa
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1557987)
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- habit formation, central amygdala, reinforcement, outcome feedback, outcome devaluation, reward magnitude, overtraining, c-fos, maze task, choice behavior
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Animals, Female, Habits, Learning, Male, Neurons, Reinforcement, Psychology, Reward, Maze Learning, Rats, Long-Evans, Rats, Central Amygdaloid Nucleus
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