Amygdala neuron activity during naturalistic foraging tracks the rat's movement, not threat, contrary to the threat-coding model¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · theoretical r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In the foraging task, Type-1 basolateral amygdala neuron firing was opposite to threat-coding predictions, becoming nearly silent near the predator, and across three tasks neither threat proximity nor reward availability predicted BL activity — movement did. → Paré 2017 q2 i? Across the foraging task and two control tasks devoid of explicit threats or rewards, BL activity varied with movement and behavioral output rather than with threats or rewards. → Paré 2017 (2)

Evidence¶

Paré 2017¶

Paré, D. & Quirk, G. J. (2017). When scientific paradigms lead to tunnel vision: lessons from the study of fear. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-017-0007-4

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

Unit recordings from the basolateral amygdala in the Robogator foraging task (Amir et al., as reported by this perspective). The authors state Type-1 firing rates were "markedly reduced, becoming nearly silent near the predator", the reverse of threat-coding predictions, and Type-2 activity was also unrelated to threat.

"Yet, during foraging, the activity of Type-1 cells was opposite to that predicted by the threat-coding model: their FRs were markedly reduced, becoming nearly silent near the predator"

Paré 2017 (2)¶

Paré, D. & Quirk, G. J. (2017). When scientific paradigms lead to tunnel vision: lessons from the study of fear. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-017-0007-4

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

Amir et al. compared basolateral amygdala activity in the foraging task and two control tasks with no explicit threats or rewards. The article reports "neither threat proximity nor reward availability predicted BL activity"; instead Type-1 firing varied with movement, rising when behavioral output was suppressed and falling during exploration or food retrieval.

"Unexpectedly, they found that across the three tasks, neither threat proximity nor reward availability predicted BL activity"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Amygdala inactivation makes foraging rats ignore a predator, appearing fearless — related
• Experimental work indicates basolateral amygdala cells activated by appetitive CSs mainly encode behavioural output, not CS identity, challenging amygdalo-centric feedforward accounts — a broader claim this one bears on
• Medial prefrontal cortex gates BL amygdala activity; prelimbic and infralimbic regions show dissociable roles in platform-mediated avoidance — related
• Inhibitory CS responses prevail over excitatory ones among basolateral amygdala principal cells — related