Neurons in the Nonhuman Primate Amygdala and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Signal Aversive Memory Formation under Sedation.

Abstract in brief

• The study found that neurons in the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex are involved in forming aversive memories even under sedation with ketamine or midazolam, suggesting this brain circuitry remains active during sedation.
• Neural responses during the learning phase were stronger in sessions where the monkeys later retained the aversive memory, indicating that initial neural activity predicts whether a memory will be formed and retained.
• The change in neural firing rates in the amygdala was linked to the strength of the conditioned respiratory response observed during retention, highlighting the role of these brain areas in linking neural activity to behavioral memory of the aversive stimulus.