The basic neuroscience of emotional experiences in mammals: The case of subcortical FEAR circuitry and implications for clinical anxiety
Evidence from behavioral neuroscience strongly suggests that the unconditional (innate) capacity to experience fear, along with fear-typical patterns of autonomic and behavioral arousal, arise from specific systems of the brain—the most prominent being a FEAR circuit which courses between the central amygdala and the periaqueductal gray of the midbrain. These circuits also mediate the raw […]
Acute effects of neurosteroids in a rodent model of primary paroxysmal dystonia
The pathophysiology of various types of dyskinesias, including dystonias, is poorly understood. Clinical and epidemiological studies in humans revealed that the severity of dyskinesias and the frequency of paroxysmal forms of the disease are altered by factors such as the onset of puberty, pregnancy, cyclical changes and stress, indicating an underlying hormonal component. The dystonic […]
Changes on auditory physiology in response to the inactivation of amygdala nuclei in high anxiety rats expressing learned fear
Abstract The inferior colliculus (IC) is primarily involved in the processing of acoustic stimuli, including those emitted by prey and predators. The role of the central nucleus of the IC (CIC) in fear and anxiety has been suggested based on electrophysiological, behavioral and immunohistochemical studies. The reactivity of high-anxiety rats (HA) to diverse challenges is […]