Tracking the fear engram: the lateral amygdala is an essential locus of fear memory storage.
Although it is believed that different types of memories are localized in discreet regions of the brain, concrete experimental evidence of the existence of such engrams is often elusive. Despite being one of the best characterized memory systems of the brain, the question of where fear memories are localized in the brain remains a hotly debated issue. Here, we combine site-specific behavioral pharmacology with multisite electrophysiological recording techniques to show that the lateral nucleus of the amygdala, long thought to be critical for the acquisition of fear memories, is also an essential locus of fear memory storage.
Schafe
Glenn E
GE
Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. glenn.schafe@yale.edu
Doyère
Valérie
V
LeDoux
Joseph E
JE
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D046352:Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D002070:Butadienes; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; C113580:U 0126