Previous Studies Indicate That the Basolateral Amygdala (BLA) and the Nucleus Accumbens

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Presenter: Erene Nawar

Mentor: James McGaugh

Title: Basolateral Amygdala and Nucleus Accumbens Modulation of Memory Consolidation Requires Dopamine Receptor Activation in Both Structures

Previous studies indicate that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) influence memory consolidation and require the other structure to be intact to perform such modulation. Furthermore, each structure receives a significant dopaminergic innervation that influences memory consolidation of emotionally arousing events. The current study investigated whether BLA- and NAc-mediated memory enhancement requires concurrent dopamine (DA) receptor activation in the other structure after training on an inhibitory avoidance (IA) task. Rats were implanted with unilateral right-side cannulae, aimed at the BLA and the ipsilateral NAc shell or core. One week later, they were trained on an IA task and, 48 h later, tested for retention. Drugs were infused into the BLA and NAc shell or core immediately after training. Posttraining intra-BLA infusions of DA enhanced retention. Concurrent NAc shell, but not core, infusions of the DA receptor antagonist cis-Flupenthixol (Flu) blocked this memory enhancement. In the reverse experiment, posttraining NAc shell infusions of DA enhanced retention, and this enhancement was blocked by Flu infusions into the BLA. These findings indicate that the modulation of memories by the BLA requires DA receptor activation in the NAc shell and not the core. Similarly, the modulation of memories by the NAc shell requires DA receptor activation in the BLA. Together with previous findings, these results suggest that the dopaminergic innervation of the BLA and NAc shell is critically involved in the modulation of memory consolidation.