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Thalamic nucleus reuniens coordinates prefrontal-hippocampal synchrony to suppress extinguished fear

Author

Listed:
  • Michael S. Totty

    (Texas A&M University
    Texas A&M University)

  • Tuğçe Tuna

    (Texas A&M University
    Texas A&M University)

  • Karthik R. Ramanathan

    (Texas A&M University
    Texas A&M University)

  • Jingji Jin

    (Texas A&M University
    Texas A&M University)

  • Shaun E. Peters

    (Texas A&M University)

  • Stephen Maren

    (Texas A&M University
    Texas A&M University)

Abstract

Traumatic events result in vivid and enduring fear memories. Suppressing the retrieval of these memories is central to behavioral therapies for pathological fear. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC) have been implicated in retrieval suppression, but how mPFC-HPC activity is coordinated during extinction retrieval is unclear. Here we show that after extinction training, coherent theta oscillations (6–9 Hz) in the HPC and mPFC are correlated with the suppression of conditioned freezing in male and female rats. Inactivation of the nucleus reuniens (RE), a thalamic hub interconnecting the mPFC and HPC, reduces extinction-related Fos expression in both the mPFC and HPC, dampens mPFC-HPC theta coherence, and impairs extinction retrieval. Conversely, theta-paced optogenetic stimulation of RE augments fear suppression and reduces relapse of extinguished fear. Collectively, these results demonstrate a role for RE in coordinating mPFC-HPC interactions to suppress fear memories after extinction.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael S. Totty & Tuğçe Tuna & Karthik R. Ramanathan & Jingji Jin & Shaun E. Peters & Stephen Maren, 2023. "Thalamic nucleus reuniens coordinates prefrontal-hippocampal synchrony to suppress extinguished fear," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42315-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42315-1
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