basolateral amygdala

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basolateral amygdala

·August 21, 2021·5 min read

Neuroactive Steroids May Induce Prolonged Antidepressant Effects by Altering Brain States

Allopregnanolone, a neuroactive steroid used in the treatment of postpartum depression, alters neural communication in the basolateral amygdala, an area of the brain associated with emotion and mood regulation. The drug may alter the network associated with chronic stress, which may explain its persistent antidepressant effect.

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·November 11, 2020·3 min read

Taste Aversion Reveals How Bad Experiences Modify Brain and Behavior

Learning to avoid certain tastes depends on the long term reduction in activity the connections between threat and taste sensors in the brain.

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·July 14, 2020·4 min read

Autism Researchers Map Brain Circuitry of Social Preference

Study reveals how two neural circuits dictate the choice between social approach and avoidance. The network connecting the infralimbic cortex to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) impairs social behavior if there is a decrease in neural activity. Another network connecting the prelimbic cortex to the BLA similarly impairs social behavior if the neural activity is increased.

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·June 5, 2020·5 min read

Chemical messenger in brain could point to better treatments for anxiety

Corticotropin-releasing factor and neuropeptide Y work in synchronized opposition to each other to remodel and rewire neurons in the amygdala as a response to stress. The process, researchers say, can be manually reversed to help relieve anxiety.

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·April 2, 2020·5 min read

Newly discovered memory process influences decision-making

Memory encoding processes important for decision making begin in the basolateral amygdala. The basolateral amygdala then creates cellular memories in the nucleus accumbens. The findings shed light on the learned connection between stimuli and reward.

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·February 23, 2020·2 min read

Childhood trauma changes your brain, but it doesn’t have to be permanent

Female rats that experienced early life adversity developed abnormal connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex in response to neglect.

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·January 15, 2020·5 min read

With these neurons, extinguishing fear is its own reward

Fear extinction memories and feelings of reward are both stored in neurons that express the Ppp1r1b gene in the posterior of the basolateral amygdala.

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·December 18, 2019·4 min read

Booze on the brain

Dysfunction in a brain pathway that usually keeps compulsive drinking in check may play a critical role in alcohol use disorder.

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·January 8, 2019·4 min read

Cannabis Exposure and Stress in Adolescence Can Lead to Anxiety Disorders in Adults

A new study reports exposure to cannabis and stress during the teenage years may result in an increased risk of developing anxiety disorders later in life.