Inactivation of the central nucleus of the amygdala blocks classical conditioning but not conditioning-specific reflex modification of rabbit heart rate

Abstract

Heart rate (HR) conditioning in rabbits is a widely used model of classical conditioning of autonomic responding that is noted for being similar to the development of conditioned heart rate slowing (bradycardia) in humans. We have shown previously that in addition to HR changes to a tone conditioned stimulus (CS), the HR reflex itself can undergo associative change called conditioning-specific reflex modification (CRM) that manifests when tested in the absence of the CS. Because CRM resembles the conditioned bradycardic response to the CS, we sought to determine if HR conditioning and CRM share a common neural substrate. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a critical part of the pathway through which conditioned bradycardia is established. To test whether the CeA is also involved in the acquisition and/or expression of CRM, we inactivated the CeA with muscimol during HR conditioning or CRM testing. CeA inactivation blocked HR conditioning without completely preventing CRM acquisition or expression. These results suggest that the CeA may therefore only play a modulatory role in CRM. Theories on the biological significance of conditioned bradycardia suggest that it may represent a state of hypervigilance that facilitates the detection of new and changing contingencies in the environment. We relate these ideas to our results and discuss how they may be relevant to the hypersensitivity observed in fear conditioning disorders like post-traumatic stress.