Cassell M D, Freedman L J, Shi C
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1999 Jun 29;877:217-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb09270.x.
The central component of the extended amygdala (CEA) comprises the central amygdaloid nucleus (Ce), the dorsal substantia innominata (SI), and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Anatomical studies have suggested the presence of an intrinsic system of GABAergic neurons that not only connects homologous subareas of the Ce, SI, and BNST but that also acts as an interface between sensory afferents and brain stem-projecting neurons. CEA outputs, with a few exceptions, arise from separate populations of neurons, but all, including GABAergic neurons themselves, are heavily innervated by GABAergic terminals. GABAergic neurons may serve to integrate output activity of the CEA, though GABAergic neurons form a heterogeneous population whose differential intrinsic connections appear related to their peptide content. Afferents from the dysgranular insular cortex and lateral parabrachial complex preferentially innervate GABAergic neurons, suggesting these neurons may also integrate afferent activity. Afferents from the basolateral amygdala (BL) appear to innervate both output neurons and intrinsic GABAergic neurons. Evidence will be presented to show that BL afferents form synaptic complexes with cortical, GABAergic, and TH-immunoreactive terminal boutons on GABAergic dendritic spines. These complexes may be a key element in control of CEA output activity.
扩展杏仁核（CEA）的核心组成部分包括杏仁中央核（Ce）、无名质背侧（SI）和终纹床核（BNST）。解剖学研究表明，存在一个由γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）能神经元组成的内在系统，该系统不仅连接Ce、SI和BNST的同源亚区，还充当感觉传入神经和投射至脑干的神经元之间的接口。除了少数例外，CEA的输出源自不同的神经元群体，但所有这些群体，包括GABA能神经元本身，都大量接受GABA能终末的支配。GABA能神经元可能有助于整合CEA的输出活动，尽管GABA能神经元构成了一个异质性群体，其不同的内在连接似乎与其肽含量有关。颗粒下岛叶皮质和外侧臂旁核复合体的传入神经优先支配GABA能神经元，这表明这些神经元也可能整合传入活动。基底外侧杏仁核（BL）的传入神经似乎支配输出神经元和内在GABA能神经元。将提供证据表明，BL传入神经在GABA能树突棘上与皮质、GABA能和酪氨酸羟化酶免疫反应性终末小体形成突触复合体。这些复合体可能是控制CEA输出活动的关键因素。
