Cover image

In the issue, Wise et al. (LearnMem a054161.125) use whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in rat brain slices to show that appetitive and aversive instrumental learning enhances the intrinsic excitability of basal amygdala (BA) projection neurons. Both reward and punishment training increased intrinsic excitability. Moreover, excitability positively correlated with performance on the punishment task, suggesting a functional link between neuronal excitability and learning. This cover illustration depicts the increases in intrinsic neuronal excitability that occurs as a rat progresses from a naive state to reward and punishment training. (Cover image created by Sophia Gilchrist and John Power).