An extensive body of literature indicates that emotion modulates memory. Moderate levels of emotional arousal enhance memory, but extreme levels of emotional arousal impair memory and might be related to clinical disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Numerous studies indicate that the amygdala is a crucial hub for coordinating both the cognitive and physiological responses to emotion, including the responses that modulate memory. Projections from the basal nucleus of the amygdala to the hippocampus are in part responsible for enhancing hippocampus dependent memory, such as novel object recognition. The project will address how the input from the amygdala modulates neuronal activity in the hippocampus in the service of enhancing memory. Specifically, electrical stimulation of the basal nucleus of the amygdala will be combined with neural recordings in the hippocampus in order to investigate how the amygdala projections to the hippocampus can enhance memory representations in the hippocampus. The expected outcomes will be relevant to potential therapeutic strategies for memory enhancement as well as to disorders in which abnormal amygdalo-hippocampal interactions are thought to be prevalent, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The proposed research project will also serve as a framework for the applicant's training plan, which was specifically designed to integrate basic research on amygdalo-hippocampal interactions with the applicant's career goal of becoming a physician-scientist whose focus will be neurosurgical treatments of psychiatric disorders.

Public Health Relevance

The goal of the current project is to understand interactions between the hippocampus and the amygdala in the service of enhancing memory. Understanding this normal interaction will provide insights regarding clinical treatments for memory disorders as well as psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, that are thought to involve dysfunctional interactions between the amygdala and hippocampus.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships (ADAMHA) (F30)
Project #
5F30MH095491-02
Application #
8431487
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-F02A-J (20))
Program Officer
Rosemond, Erica K
Project Start
2011-09-01
Project End
2015-07-31
Budget Start
2012-09-01
Budget End
2013-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$30,912
Indirect Cost
Name
Emory University
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
066469933
City
Atlanta
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30322
Inman, Cory S; Manns, Joseph R; Bijanki, Kelly R et al. (2018) Direct electrical stimulation of the amygdala enhances declarative memory in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:98-103
Manns, Joseph R; Bass, David I (2016) The amygdala and prioritization of declarative memories. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 25:261-265
Bass, David I; Manns, Joseph R (2015) Memory-enhancing amygdala stimulation elicits gamma synchrony in the hippocampus. Behav Neurosci 129:244-56
Bass, David I; Nizam, Zainab G; Partain, Kristin N et al. (2014) Amygdala-mediated enhancement of memory for specific events depends on the hippocampus. Neurobiol Learn Mem 107:37-41
Bass, David I; Partain, Kristin N; Manns, Joseph R (2012) Event-specific enhancement of memory via brief electrical stimulation to the basolateral complex of the amygdala in rats. Behav Neurosci 126:204-8