title: Enhancement of electrically evoked startle-like responses by tetanic stimulation of the superior colliculus.
abstract: Single-pulse unilateral electrical stimulation of either the amygdala or the inferior colliculus elicited startle-like responses in chloral hydrate anesthetized rats. EMG responses to intracranial stimulation were recorded from the anterior biceps femoris muscles. The EMG responses were generally enhanced following unilateral tetanic stimulation of the deep layers of the superior colliculus, but the enhancement was stronger for amygdala sites than inferior colliculus sites. The enhancement of EMG responses to ipsilateral amygdala stimulation was much larger than that for contralateral amygdala stimulation and that for ipsilateral inferior colliculus stimulation. The enhancement of EMG responses to contralateral inferior colliculus stimulation was not significant. The present study provides a motor-output model for studying plasticity in the neural pathways mediating startle facilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chenfei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yeomans
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D007245:Inferior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000502:physiology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*