QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, February 21, 2007, 27(8):2045-2057; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5474-06.2007

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Floresco, S. B. Articles by Tse, M. T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Floresco, S. B. Articles by Tse, M. T.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Dopaminergic Regulation of Inhibitory and Excitatory Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala–Prefrontal Cortical Pathway

Stan B. Floresco and Maric T. Tse

Department of Psychology and Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Stan B. Floresco, Department of Psychology and Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4. Email: floresco{at}psych.ubc.ca

Projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dopamine (DA) input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) converge in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), forming a neural circuit implicated in certain cognitive and emotional processes. However, the role that DA plays in modulating activity in the BLA–mPFC pathway is unknown. The present study investigated the mechanisms by which DA modulates BLA-evoked changes in mPFC neural activity, using extracellular single-unit recordings in urethane-anesthetized rats. BLA stimulation evoked two distinct types of responses in separate populations of mPFC neurons: monosynaptic, excitatory responses and, more commonly, inhibition of spontaneous firing. Stimulation of the VTA or local iontophoretic application of DA attenuated BLA-evoked inhibition of PFC neuron firing. Administration of selective DA receptor agonists revealed that these effects were mediated by D₂ and D₄ (but not D₁) receptors. In addition, VTA stimulation or DA application attenuated BLA-evoked firing of a separate population of mPFC neurons in a frequency-dependent manner; firing evoked by higher-frequency stimulation of the BLA was less inhibited than that evoked by single-pulse stimulation. Attenuation of BLA-evoked firing was also induced by of D₁ (but not D₂ or D₄) receptor agonists. These data indicate that dissociable DA receptor mechanisms regulate the balance of excitatory and inhibitory transmission in BLA–mPFC circuits, biasing toward an increase in the excitatory influence that the BLA exerts over populations of mPFC neurons. These findings may have important implications for understanding the pathophysiology underlying emotional and cognitive disturbances present in disorders such as depression and drug addiction.

Key words: frontal lobes; amygdala; D₂/D₄; emotions; depression; drug abuse

---

Received Nov. 1, 2006; revised Jan. 16, 2007; accepted Jan. 22, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Stan B. Floresco, Department of Psychology and Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4. Email: floresco{at}psych.ubc.ca

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. B. McGinty and A. A. Grace Selective Activation of Medial Prefrontal-to-Accumbens Projection Neurons by Amygdala Stimulation and Pavlovian Conditioned Stimuli Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2008; 18(8): 1961 - 1972. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Valenti and A. A. Grace Entorhinal Cortex Inhibits Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Modulates the Activity States of Electrophysiologically Characterized Pyramidal Neurons In Vivo Cereb Cortex, July 16, 2008; (2008) bhn114v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Strathearn, J. Li, P. Fonagy, and P. R. Montague What's in a Smile? Maternal Brain Responses to Infant Facial Cues Pediatrics, July 1, 2008; 122(1): 40 - 51. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B.J. CASEY, R. M. JONES, and T. A. HARE The Adolescent Brain Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., March 1, 2008; 1124(1): 111 - 126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. L. Tierney, A. M. Thierry, J. Glowinski, J. M. Deniau, and Y. Gioanni Dopamine Modulates Temporal Dynamics of Feedforward Inhibition in Rat Prefrontal Cortex In Vivo Cereb Cortex, January 24, 2008; (2008) bhm252v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Orozco-Cabal, J. Liu, S. Pollandt, K. Schmidt, P. Shinnick-Gallagher, and J. P. Gallagher Dopamine and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Synergistically Alter Basolateral Amygdala-to-Medial Prefrontal Cortex Synaptic Transmission: Functional Switch after Chronic Cocaine Administration J. Neurosci., January 9, 2008; 28(2): 529 - 542. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help