Different Time Courses for Learning-Related Changes in Amygdala and Orbitofrontal Cortex

Morrison, Sara E.; Saez, Alexandre; Lau, Brian; Salzman, C. Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.07.016

Cited by 124 publications

(161 citation statements)

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“…In monkeys and rats, amygdala lesions impair reward-related and affective behavior (3,4). Individual amygdala neurons respond to basic rewarding and aversive stimuli (5,6), code expectations about rewarding and aversive outcomes (7)(8)(9)(10), and update the positive and negative values of conditioned stimuli during learning (9)(10)(11). In human imaging studies, amygdala activation is associated with basic rewards (12), decision variables (13), and decision-related emotions (14).…”

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confidence: 99%

Prediction of economic choice by primate amygdala neurons

Grabenhorst

Hernádi

Schultz

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The amygdala is a key structure of the brain's reward system. Existing theories view its role in decision-making as restricted to an early valuation stage that provides input to decision mechanisms in downstream brain structures. However, the extent to which the amygdala itself codes information about economic choices is unclear. Here, we report that individual neurons in the primate amygdala predict behavioral choices in an economic decision task. We recorded the activity of amygdala neurons while monkeys chose between saving liquid reward with interest and spending the accumulated reward. In addition to known value-related responses, we found that activity in a group of amygdala neurons predicted the monkeys' upcoming save-spend choices with an average accuracy of 78%. This choicepredictive activity occurred early in trials, even before information about specific actions associated with save-spend choices was available. For a substantial number of neurons, choice-differential activity was specific for free, internally generated economic choices and not observed in a control task involving forced imperative choices. A subgroup of choice-predictive neurons did not show relationships to value, movement direction, or visual stimulus features. Choicepredictive activity in some amygdala neurons was preceded by transient periods of value coding, suggesting value-to-choice transitions and resembling decision processes in other brain systems. These findings suggest that the amygdala might play an active role in economic decisions. Current views of amygdala function should be extended to incorporate a role in decision-making beyond valuation.neurophysiology | abstract representation | subjective value | emotion

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confidence: 99%

Prediction of economic choice by primate amygdala neurons

Grabenhorst

Hernádi

Schultz

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…However, some findings conflict with this model. For example, while some BLA neurons differentially fire for rewarding or aversive reinforcers, many respond to both, suggesting that BLA neurons receive information about both positive and negative stimuli (Schoenbaum et al 1999;Paton et al 2006;Morrison et al 2011). These data suggest that a certain degree of segregation of neurons encoding positive versus negative valence is likely, but it does not exclude the possibility that the neurons responding to both valences may also have valence-specific roles and/or contribute to arousal or attentional processes.…”

Section: Models For Segregated Function In the Blamentioning

confidence: 94%

“…In this case, valence segregation may not be a predetermined or hardwired property of individual neurons, but rather arises from the experience or history of the animal. Nevertheless, experimental data showing that mostly segregated populations of amygdala neurons respond to appetitive or aversive stimuli provides support for Models 1 and 3 (Schoenbaum et al 1999;Paton et al 2006;Morrison et al 2011). In agreement with classical amygdala studies showing that aversive learning is mediated by the convergence of the unconditioned and conditioned stimuli within single BLA neurons (Barot et al 2008;Chung et al 2011), a recent study found that cells in the amygdala that encode an unconditioned stimulus of opposite valence (and different sensory modality) significantly contributes to both Pavlovian and instrumental associative learning and conditioned responses acquired after learning (Gore et al 2015a,b).…”

Section: Models For Segregated Function In the Blamentioning

confidence: 96%

“…These models are based on studies describing how BLA neurons respond to reward and aversive stimuli. We then consider whether three major inputs, known to carry valenced information, support or conflict these models, and also discuss the types of experiments that can best advance our understanding of how behaviors of opposing valence arise from the BLA.Although this review focuses on input-specific contributions to valence segregation, it is clear that a subset of neurons in the BLA respond to both valences (Schoenbaum et al 1999;Paton et al 2006;Morrison et al 2011). Thus, we acknowledge that the BLA contributes to more than valence segregation (Belova et al 2007;Shabel and Janak 2009).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Although this review focuses on input-specific contributions to valence segregation, it is clear that a subset of neurons in the BLA respond to both valences (Schoenbaum et al 1999;Paton et al 2006;Morrison et al 2011). Thus, we acknowledge that the BLA contributes to more than valence segregation (Belova et al 2007;Shabel and Janak 2009).…”

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Input-specific contributions to valence processing in the amygdala

Correia

Goosens

2016

Learn. Mem.

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Reward and punishment are often thought of as opposing processes: rewards and the environmental cues that predict them elicit approach and consummatory behaviors, while punishments drive aversion and avoidance behaviors. This framework suggests that there may be segregated brain circuits for these valenced behaviors. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is one brain region that contributes to both types of motivated behavior. Individual neurons in the BLA can favor positive over negative valence, or vice versa, but these neurons are intermingled, showing no anatomical segregation. The amygdala receives inputs from many brain areas and current theories posit that encoding of positive versus negative valence by BLA neurons is determined by the wiring of each neuron. Specifically, many projections from other brain areas that respond to positive and negative valence stimuli and predictive cues project strongly to the BLA and likely contribute to valence processing within the BLA. Here we review three of these areas, the basal forebrain, the dorsal raphe nucleus and the ventral tegmental area, and discuss how these may promote encoding of positive and negative valence within the BLA.The basic desire to seek reward and avoid punishment shapes virtually all of behavior, and the ability to discriminate between "good" and "bad" environmental cues is critical for guiding choices and maximizing survival. Thus, understanding the brain circuits that encode motivated behaviors is important because it contributes to our knowledge of how we learn, and it is also essential for understanding human disorders associated with abnormal processing of reward and danger (i.e., emotional disorders), such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The amygdala is one brain area implicated in motivated behaviors and the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) receives information about diverse environmental stimuli from many brain regions. The BLA is thought to encode the association of predictive stimuli with both aversive and appetitive outcomes (Morrison and Salzman 2010;Barberini et al. 2012). Reward and punishment are reinforcers of opposite valence (positive versus negative), and these reinforcers typically lead to opposing behaviors (approach versus avoidance). Many theories have suggested that appetitive and aversive systems act in opponent fashion (Solomon and Corbit 1974;Daw et al. 2002). However, it is unclear how the BLA contributes to this. We do not yet understand the extent to which aversive and appetitive information is processed in parallel BLA circuits, or whether individual BLA neurons are involved in the regulation of both types of motivated behaviors.In this review, we propose several models by which functional segregation of valence can be achieved in the BLA. These models are based on studies describing how BLA neurons respond to reward and aversive stimuli. We then consider whether three major inputs, known to carry valenced information, support or conflict these models, and also discus...

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The Cognitive Neuroscience of Fear Learning

Stjepanović

LaBar

2018

Stevens' Handbook of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience

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Fear learning provides organisms with the ability to use signals from their environment to predict potential danger and to recruit defensive behavior. Fear conditioning has long been studied as a model of fear learning in animals and, with the advent of functional brain imaging, has proven critical in translating the neurocircuitry underlying fear learning in animals to humans. This chapter provides an overview of the cognitive neuroscience of fear learning by focusing on key findings from animal and human work that shed light on how fears are acquired and subsequently diminished. Recent advances that highlight the flexibility of the fear learning system are also discussed, focusing on how contexts influence learning and extinction, how fear is generalized beyond initial learning, and the neural mechanisms that make it possible to acquire fear from others without direct experience. Finally, future directions for the field, focusing on variation at the genetic and individual levels, are presented.

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Different Time Courses for Learning-Related Changes in Amygdala and Orbitofrontal Cortex

Cited by 124 publications

References 59 publications

Prediction of economic choice by primate amygdala neurons

Prediction of economic choice by primate amygdala neurons

Input-specific contributions to valence processing in the amygdala

The Cognitive Neuroscience of Fear Learning

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