Amygdala Microcircuits

The amygdala is one of the most intensely researched regions in the brain for cell types and circuit connectivity that are linked closely to behavior. Most research into amygdala microcircuits and their function relates to Pavlovian threat conditioning. Microcircuit-level analysis of threat conditioning relates neuronal circuit responsivity to aversive unconditioned stimuli (UCS) and neutral conditioned stimuli (CS). The consequent associative learning leads to long-term memory formation. Amygdala circuits are also being studied in relation to the essential functional role in appetitive behavior. In this chapter, we describe the amygdala microcircuitry at several levels, including key afferent and efferent circuits, intra-amygdala circuits among major amygdala subdivisions and subcircuits within these subdivisions, and the plasticity within the circuits underlying associative learning.