The link between auditory stimuli and fear behavior, new neural pathway identified in mice

A research group from The University of Texas at San Antonio (TX, USA) has identified a new fear pathway in mice between the auditory cortex and the lateral amygdala that may play a role in fear-related behavior driven by auditory stimuli. The results of the study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, could aid further research into understanding the mechanisms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Utilizing anatomical, electrophysiological, imaging and optogenetics approaches the authors of the study were able to analyze individual neuronal cells connecting the auditory cortex and the lateral amygdala in the brains of mice. They...