Pantelis Antonoudiou, PhD

Research Scientist: Neuroscience, Data Science, Machine Learning.

projections

Summary
Here we show that past experiences can reshape the function of projection-specific neurons to influence future emotional behaviors. Specifically, previous positive or negative experiences alter the activity of specific BLA neuron populations projecting to different brain regions, thereby influencing emotional processing and related behaviors like avoidance and helplessness.

Key findings:

  • Previous positive (enriched environment) or negative (chronic unpredictable stress) experiences lead to distinct changes in the activity of BLA neurons that project to either the nucleus accumbens core (NaCC) or the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST).
  • Chemogenetic manipulation of these specific BLA projection neuron populations can mimic or reverse the behavioral effects of positive and negative experiences, demonstrating their causal role in these outcomes.
  • These findings reveal that prior experiences can bias how information is processed and routed within the BLA, contributing to diverse behavioral responses.

Authors: Pantelis Antonoudiou, Bradly T. Stone, Phillip L.W. Colmers, Aidan Evans-Strong, Eric Teboul, Najah L. Walton, Grant L. Weiss, Jamie L. Maguire

🔗 Read the paper (Cell Reports) 📖 Available Open Access on PMC: PMCID: PMC11330675

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