Effects of Conditioning During Amygdalar Inactivation on Training-Induced Neuronal Plasticity in the Medial Geniculate Nucleus and Cingulate Cortex in Rabbits ('Oryctolagus cuniculus')

This study addressed the amygdala's role in avoidance conditioning in rabbits ('Oryctolagus cuniculus'). Intra-amygdalar muscimol infusion before 60 or 120 conditioning trials blocked training-induced neuronal activity (TIA) in the medial geniculate (MG) nucleus. One hundred twenty trials with muscimol blocked TIA permanently, during conditioning with muscimol and then later without muscimol; 60 trials with muscimol blocked TIA only when muscimol was present. Cingulate cortical TIA was blocked only when muscimol was present. Behavioral learning did not occur with muscimol, but later learning was facilitated (i.e., savings occurred) in rabbits initially given muscimol plus training. These results define the time period wherein amygdalar processes initiate TIA in the MG nucleus and suggest that distinct forms of amygdalar processes induce TIA in the MG nucleus and cingulate cortex.