Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Learning and Anxiety in Amygdala-based Neural Circuits

Objective

Major advances were made in understanding circuits that underlie aversive emotional learning. The majority gained by using classical associative models, mainly tone/context-shock conditioning. Failure to extinguish the response or to discriminate from other safe stimuli (generalization), form two main animal models for human anxiety-disorders and post-traumatic-stress. These simple yet powerful approaches enabled cutting-edge techniques in rodents to unveil amygdala circuitry and its connectivity with the medial-prefrontal-cortex. Yet, we have less understanding of the mechanisms that underlie elaborated behavioural models of mal-adaptive behaviour, as well as less understanding of neural codes and computations in the evolutionary-expanded primate amygdala. Our lab recently embarked on exploring these venues by pioneering physiological studies of generalization and extinction protocols in primates. The goal of the current project is to develop behavioural models of complex learning and maladaptive behaviour, and then examine and shed light on the underlying computations in primate amygdala-PFC circuit. We design a novel rule-based learning task, and examine its acquisition, extinction, generalization and exploration-exploitation trade-off in dangerous environments. Specifically, the concepts of rule learning and exploration-exploitation tradeoff form novel insights and aspects of [mal-]adaptive behaviours, and will suggest new animal models of learned anxiety. We record dozens of neurons in the amygdala and prefrontal-cortex simultaneously using deep multi-contact arrays, supplemented by stimulation to address functional connectivity, and development of modelling approaches for the behaviour and neural codes. We posit that the development of more [complex] models is crucial and the next logical step in achieving translation of animal models of anxiety disorders, as well as in understanding basic mechanisms behind the rich repertoire of emotional behaviours.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2016-COG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 981 175,00
Address
HERZL STREET 234
7610001 Rehovot
Israel

See on map

Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 981 175,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0