Exploration of novel environments ensures survival and evolutionary fitness. It is expressed through exploratory bouts and arrests that change dynamically based on experience. Neural circuits mediating exploratory behavior should therefore integrate experience and use it to select the proper behavioral output. Using a spatial exploration assay, we uncovered an experience-dependent increase in momentary arrests in locations where animals arrested previously. Calcium imaging in freely exploring mice revealed a genetically and projection-defined neuronal ensemble in the basolateral amygdala that is active during self-paced behavioral arrests. This ensemble was recruited in an experience-dependent manner, and closed-loop optogenetic manipulation of these neurons revealed that they are sufficient and necessary to drive experience-dependent arrests during exploration. Projection-specific imaging and optogenetic experiments revealed that these arrests are effected by basolateral amygdala neurons projecting to the central amygdala, uncovering an amygdala circuit that mediates momentary arrests in familiar places but not avoidance or anxiety/fear-like behaviors.

探索新环境可确保生存和进化适应性。它通过根据经验动态变化的探索性较量和逮捕来表达。因此，调节探索行为的神经回路应该整合经验并使用它来选择合适的行为输出。使用空间探索分析，我们发现在动物先前被捕的地方，瞬时被捕的增加依赖于经验。自由探索小鼠的钙成像显示基底外侧杏仁核中有一个遗传和投射定义的神经元集合，在自定进度的行为逮捕期间活跃。这个合奏团是以经验依赖的方式招募的，对这些神经元的闭环光遗传学操作表明，它们足以且必要地在探索过程中驱动依赖于经验的逮捕。投射特异性成像和光遗传学实验表明，这些逮捕受投射到中央杏仁核的基底外侧杏仁核神经元的影响，揭示了一个杏仁核回路，它在熟悉的地方介导瞬时逮捕，但不是回避或焦虑/恐惧样行为。