Long-term potentiation in the amygdala: a mechanism for emotional learning and memory. Academic Article

abstract

• In the mammalian brain, LTP is an enduring form of synaptic plasticity that is posited to have a role in learning and memory. Compelling new evidence for this view derives from studies of LTP in the amygdala, a brain structure that is essential for simple forms of emotional learning and memory, such as Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats. More specifically, antagonists of the NMDA receptor block both amygdaloid LTP induction and fear conditioning, fear conditioning induces increases in amygdaloid synaptic transmission that resemble LTP, and genetic modifications that disrupt amygdaloid LTP eliminate fear conditioning. Collectively, these results provide the most-convincing evidence to date that LTP mediates learning and memory in mammals.

authors

• Maren, Stephen

published proceedings

• Trends Neurosci

altmetric score

• 6.5

author list (cited authors)

• Maren, S.

citation count

• 338

complete list of authors

• Maren, S

publication date

• December 1999

publisher

• Elsevier  Publisher

published in

• Trends in Neurosciences  Journal

keywords

• Amygdala
• Animals
• Conditioning, Psychological
• Emotions
• Fear
• Humans
• Learning
• Long-term Potentiation
• Memory
• Receptors, Glutamate

PubMed Central ID

• 10542437

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1016/s0166-2236(99)01465-4

start page

• 561

end page

• 567

volume

• 22

issue

• 12

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0166-2236(99)01465-4