Figures & data
Figure 1 Simplified schematic diagram showing intrinsic connections within the BLC, cortical nucleus (CO), CeA and MeA. Note the intricate pattern of reciprocal connections among Ln, Bn and Abn and between these nuclei and CO and MeA (lighter gray). In contrast, connections of these nuclei with the CeA are generally not reciprocal (darker gray). Other amygdalar nuclei, including the ITC cell masses, were not included for the sake of simplicity. References are in the text.
Figure 2 Simplified diagram depicting BLC-cortical interactions within the context of acquisition, modulation and consolidation of stress-related memories. Inputs from a broad range of associative sensory cortical areas, representing all sensory modalities, converge in the BLC. Multifaceted information relative to specific events can then be associated with its emotional valence. The BLC mediates long-term consolidation of stress-related memories through its projections to several cortical (and subcortical, not shown) regions. Finally, projections from prefrontal cortex to the amygdala are thought to modulate the expression of learned responses on the basis of the current valence of specific stimuli. For the sake of simplicity, the list of the cortical areas included is not intended to be comprehensive and the complexity of their connections with the amygdala is not fully represented. References are in the text.
