Bidirectional effects of aversive learning on perceptual acuity are mediated by the sensory cortex

Nat Neurosci. 2013 Aug;16(8):994-6. doi: 10.1038/nn.3443. Epub 2013 Jun 30.

Abstract

Although emotional learning affects sensory acuity, little is known about how these changes are facilitated in the brain. We found that auditory fear conditioning in mice elicited either an increase or a decrease in frequency discrimination acuity depending on how specific the learned response was to the conditioned tone. Using reversible pharmacological inactivation, we found that the auditory cortex mediated learning-evoked changes in acuity in both directions.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Amygdala / physiology
  • Animals
  • Auditory Cortex / physiology*
  • Auditory Threshold / physiology
  • Avoidance Learning / physiology*
  • Conditioning, Classical / physiology
  • Cues
  • Differential Threshold / physiology
  • Diffusion
  • Discrimination, Psychological / physiology
  • Electroshock
  • Fear / physiology*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / pharmacokinetics
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Muscimol / pharmacokinetics
  • Muscimol / pharmacology
  • Neuronal Plasticity
  • Random Allocation

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Muscimol