NIH VideoCast - Prefrontal control of fear expression: translational studies in rats and humans

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Prefrontal control of fear expression: translational studies in rats and humans

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Air date:	Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 11:30:00 AM Time displayed is Eastern Time, Washington DC Local
Views:	Total views: 141 * This only includes stats from October 2011 and forward.
Category:	Special
Runtime:	00:54:43
Closed captioning:	Check box to display CC outside of the video Note: You can drag the captioning window around and resize it
Description:	Classical studies of fear learning have emphasized the central role of the amygdala in acquiring and expressing fear memories. Recent work, however, is emphasizing the role of the medial prefrontal cortex in regulating the expression of these memories, via descending projections to the amygdala and other structures. In rats, converging evidence from recording, infusion, and microstimulation studies indicate that the infralimbic and prelimbic subregions of mPFC serve as “on” and “off” switches for fear expression. Plasticity in the infralimbic cortex is essential for retrieval of extinction memory, and is modulated by monoamines, NMDA-mediated bursting activity, and BDNF. Deficits in these mechanisms could explain the failure to retrieve extinction memory and may underlie symptoms of PTSD. Human homologues of rodent prefrontal areas show predicted changes in subjects undergoing extinction, as well as extinction failure in PTSD patients. Prefrontal activity levels could serve as “biomarkers” that predict extinction success and failure, and even clinical response to extinction-based therapies.

NLM Title:	Prefrontal control of fear expression : translational studies in rats and humans / Gregory J. Quirk.
Author:	Quirk, Gregory J. National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
Publisher:
Abstract:	(CIT): Classical studies of fear learning have emphasized the central role of the amygdala in acquiring and expressing fear memories. Recent work, however, is emphasizing the role of the medial prefrontal cortex in regulating the expression of these memories, via descending projections to the amygdala and other structures. In rats, converging evidence from recording, infusion, and microstimulation studies indicate that the infralimbic and prelimbic subregions of mPFC serve as "on" and "off" switches for fear expression. Plasticity in the infralimbic cortex is essential for retrieval of extinction memory, and is modulated by monoamines, NMDA-mediated bursting activity, and BDNF. Deficits in these mechanisms could explain the failure to retrieve extinction memory and may underlie symptoms of PTSD. Human homologues of rodent prefrontal areas show predicted changes in subjects undergoing extinction, as well as extinction failure in PTSD patients. Prefrontal activity levels could serve as "biomarkers" that predict extinction success and failure, and even clinical response to extinction-based therapies.
Subjects:	Extinction, Psychological Fear Limbic System Prefrontal Cortex Stress Disorders, Traumatic--therapy
Publication Types:	Lecture Webcast
NLM Classification:	BF 319.5.E9
NLM ID:	101507214
CIT Live ID:	7677
Permanent link:	https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=7677

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