Disorders of Neural Circuit Function, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, Florida 33458
Disorders of Neural Circuit Function, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, Florida 33458.
J Neurosci. 2022 Dec 7;42(49):9098-9109. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1176-22.2022.
Generating adaptive behavioral responses to emotionally salient stimuli requires evaluation of complex associations between multiple sensations, the surrounding context, and current internal state. Neural circuits within the amygdala parse this emotional information, undergo synaptic plasticity to reflect learned associations, and evoke appropriate responses through their projections to the brain regions orchestrating these behaviors. Information flow within the amygdala is regulated by the intercalated cells (ITCs), which are densely packed clusters of GABAergic neurons that encircle the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and provide contextually relevant feedforward inhibition of amygdala nuclei, including the central and BLA. Emerging studies have begun to delineate the unique contribution of each ITC cluster and establish ITCs as key loci of plasticity in emotional learning. In this review, we summarize the known connectivity and function of individual ITC clusters and explore how different neuromodulators conveying internal state act via ITC gates to shape emotionally motivated behavior. We propose that the behavioral state-dependent function of ITCs, their unique genetic profile, and rich expression of neuromodulator receptors make them potential therapeutic targets for disorders, such as anxiety, schizophrenia spectrum, and addiction.
生成对情绪显著刺激的适应性行为反应需要评估多种感觉、周围环境和当前内部状态之间的复杂关联。杏仁核内的神经回路解析这些情绪信息，通过突触可塑性来反映学习到的关联，并通过其投射到大脑区域来引发适当的反应，这些区域协调这些行为。杏仁核内的信息流动受到中间神经元（ITCs）的调节，ITCs 是 GABA 能神经元的密集簇，环绕着基底外侧杏仁核（BLA），并提供上下文相关的前馈抑制作用于杏仁核核团，包括中央核和 BLA。新兴的研究已经开始描绘每个 ITC 簇的独特贡献，并将 ITC 确定为情绪学习中可塑性的关键部位。在这篇综述中，我们总结了已知的单个 ITC 簇的连接和功能，并探讨了不同的神经调质如何通过 ITC 门传递内部状态来塑造情绪驱动的行为。我们提出，ITCs 的行为状态依赖性功能、其独特的遗传特征和丰富的神经调质受体表达使它们成为焦虑、精神分裂症谱系和成瘾等疾病的潜在治疗靶点。
