9319699 Kapp This is a proposal to continue the PI's studies of the circuits in the brain that give rise to learned arousal, a behavioral state characterized by vigilance or enhanced readiness to process sensory information from one's environment. The proposed research tests the hypothesis that the central nucleus of the amygdala, a structure-long implicated in emotional arousal, contributes to a learned increase in arousal by exerting a modulatory influence on the activity of two groups of brain cells which enhance the impact of sensory events on the animal. The analysis of anatomical substrates for conditioned arousal is interesting and important. The results will provide important information concerning brain circuits that provide the optimal conditions for detecting and processing sensory information.
