Instrumental learning enhances the intrinsic excitability of basal amygdala projection neurons

Abstract

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is critical for Pavlovian and instrumental emotional association learning. Pavlovian fear conditioning is accompanied by increased excitability of BLA neurons. Here we tested whether instrumental learning similarly enhances BLA excitability. Electrophysiological recordings were taken from BLA neurons in brain slices prepared from instrumentally trained Long–Evans rats. 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. These findings support the idea that enhanced excitability facilitates synaptic plasticity and circuit integration during instrumental learning.