ROLE OF THE MEDIAL AMYGDALA IN FEAR POTENTIATED STARTLE AND SUCCESSIVE-CUE ODOR DISCRIMINATION

Tracy Cheng, Nicholas Chiappini, Sayantan Deb, Catherine Elorette, Courtney Halgren, Dedeepya Konuthula, Keerthana Krosuri, Xiaotong Li, Susan Liao, Christopher Marnell, Jane Wang, Daniel Wei

Advisor: Dr. Graham Cousens
Assistant: Anna Toledano

ABSTRACT

This study examined the role of the medial amygdala in fear conditioning and odor discrimination. Lesioned and non-lesioned rats were subjected to fear potentiated startle and successive-cue odor discrimination training. These two experiments were conducted to determine whether the rats could smell and, if so, whether they were able to learn. Contrary to previously published data, both tests evidenced that the medial amygdala does not play a significant role in the mechanisms for olfactory and associative learning and memory. However, these results can only be confirmed after histological analysis.