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In vivo electrophysiological recordings in amygdala subnuclei reveal selective and distinct responses to a behaviorally identified predator odor

Overview of attention for article published in Journal of Neurophysiology, December 2014
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Title
In vivo electrophysiological recordings in amygdala subnuclei reveal selective and distinct responses to a behaviorally identified predator odor
Published in
Journal of Neurophysiology, December 2014
DOI 10.1152/jn.00373.2014
Pubmed ID
Authors

Antonina Govic, Antonio G Paolini

Abstract

Chemosensory cues signalling predators reliably stimulate innate defensive responses in rodents. Despite the well documented role of the amygdala in predator odor-induced fear, the relative contribution of the specific nuclei that comprise this structurally heterogeneous structure is conflicting. In an effort to clarify this we examined neural activity, via electrophysiological recordings, in amygdala subnuclei to controlled and repeated presentations of a predator odor; cat urine. Defensive behaviors, characterised by avoidance, decreased exploration and increased risk assessment were observed in adult male hooded Wistar rats (n=11) exposed to a cloth impregnated with cat urine. Electrophysiological recordings of the amygdala (777 multi-unit clusters) were subsequently obtained in freely-breathing anesthetised rats exposed to cat urine, distilled water and eugenol via an air-dilution olfactometer. Recorded units selectively responded to cat urine and frequencies of responses were distributed differently across amygdala nuclei; medial amygdala (MeA) demonstrated the greatest frequency of responses to cat urine (51.7%), followed by the baso-lateral and -medial nuclei (18.8%), and lastly the central amygdala (3.0%). Temporally, information transduction occurred primarily from the cortical and MeA (ventral divisions) to other amygdala nuclei. Interestingly, MeA subnuclei exhibited distinct firing patterns to predator urine, potentially revealing aspects of the underlying neurocircuitry of predator odor processing and defensiveness. These findings highlight the critical involvement of the MeA in processing olfactory cues signalling predator threat and converge with previous studies to indicate that amygdala regulation of predator-odor induced fear is restricted to a particular set of subnuclei which primarily include the MeA, particularly the ventral divisions.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 64 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United Kingdom 1 2%
Chile 1 2%
United States 1 2%
Portugal 1 2%
Unknown 60 94%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 18 28%
Student > Ph. D. Student 11 17%
Student > Bachelor 6 9%
Professor > Associate Professor 5 8%
Student > Master 5 8%
Other 11 17%
Unknown 8 13%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Neuroscience 26 41%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 18 28%
Psychology 5 8%
Medicine and Dentistry 2 3%
Engineering 2 3%
Other 1 2%
Unknown 10 16%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 06 March 2015.
All research outputs
#19,944,994
of 25,374,647 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Neurophysiology
#5,871
of 8,423 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#259,104
of 368,057 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Neurophysiology
#76
of 142 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,647 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 18th percentile – i.e., 18% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 8,423 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 4.8. This one is in the 26th percentile – i.e., 26% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 142 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 38th percentile – i.e., 38% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.