title: Enhanced frontal cortex activation in rats by convergent amygdaloid and noxious sensory signals.
abstract: The modulation of frontal cortical EEG activation to noxious somatosensory (tail pressure) and olfactory (acetone) stimulation by the basal amygdala was examined in urethane-anesthetized rats. Mild tail pressure produced no EEG activation, while acetone (sniffed by freely breathing rats or drawn across the olfactory epithelium in tracheotomized rats) produced a moderate suppression of large-amplitude synchronized EEG patterns. Concurrent, low-intensity 100 Hz stimulation of the basal amygdala permitted EEG activation to tail pressure to occur, and strongly enhanced olfactory-induced cortical activation. These results indicate that excitation of the basal amygdala potentiates frontal cortical responsiveness to aversive sensory events. This may provide a mechanism to facilitate cortical excitability and processing by amygdaloid neuronal activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6 Canada.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Dringenberg
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Saber
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cahill
mesh_terms: D000096:Acetone; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014140:Tracheotomy
chemical_list: D000096:Acetone