Sequence of information processing for emotions based on the anatomic dialogue between prefrontal cortex and amygdala
Section snippets
Materials and methods
Experiments were conducted on 4 adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) of both sexes, obtained through the New England Regional Primate Research Center (NEPRC). Experiments were conducted according to the NIH guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH publication 86–23, revised 1987). Experimental methods and euthanasia were approved by the IACUC at NEPRC, Harvard Medical School, and Boston University School of Medicine. All efforts were made to minimize animal suffering and to reduce
Injection sites
In one group of experiments (n = 3) retrograde fluorescent tracers occupied restricted sites of the basal nuclei of the amygdala (Figs. 1B–D, Table 1). In a second group of experiments (n = 4 hemispheres) the bidirectional tracer BDA occupied extensive parts of the basal complex of the amygdala (Figs. 1A–B; D–F; A′–E′). In all cases, labeled projection neurons and axonal terminals were found in nearly all prefrontal areas, but varied in density in areas and distinct layers, as elaborated below.
Prefrontal projection neurons directed to the amygdala
Discussion
Caudal orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate areas had the strongest connections with the amygdala, confirming previous studies (Porrino et al., 1981, Amaral and Price, 1984). The present findings further indicate that prefrontal connections with the amygdala were more extensive than previously thought, extending beyond the most heavily linked orbitofrontal and medial cingulate cortices, described previously for primates and rats (Nauta, 1961, Jacobson and Trojanowski, 1975, Porrino et al., 1981
Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. Ron Killiany for help with brain imaging and Ms. Karen Trait for technical assistance. Research was supported by NIH grants from NIMH and NINDS.
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Current address: Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.