title: Assignment of model amygdala neurons to the fear memory trace depends on competitive synaptic interactions.
abstract: We used biophysical modeling to examine a fundamental, yet unresolved, question regarding how particular lateral amygdala (LA) neurons are assigned to fear memory traces. This revealed that neurons with high intrinsic excitability are more likely to be integrated into the memory trace, but that competitive synaptic interactions also play a critical role. Indeed, when the ratio of intrinsically excitable cells was increased or decreased, the number of plastic cells remained relatively constant. Analysis of the connectivity of plastic and nonplastic cells revealed that subsets of principal LA neurons effectively band together by virtue of their excitatory interconnections to suppress plasticity in other principal cells via the recruitment of inhibitory interneurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Dongbeom
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paré
authors.forename: Satish S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission