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Multidimensional processing in the amygdala

Abstract

Brain-wide circuits that coordinate affective and social behaviours intersect in the amygdala. Consequently, amygdala lesions cause a heterogeneous array of social and non-social deficits. Social behaviours are not localized to subdivisions of the amygdala even though the inputs and outputs that carry social signals are anatomically restricted to distinct subnuclear regions. This observation may be explained by the multidimensional response properties of the component neurons. Indeed, the multitudes of circuits that converge in the amygdala enlist the same subset of neurons into different ensembles that combine social and non-social elements into high-dimensional representations. These representations may enable flexible, context-dependent social decisions. As such, multidimensional processing may operate in parallel with subcircuits of genetically identical neurons that serve specialized and functionally dissociable functions. When combined, the activity of specialized circuits may grant specificity to social behaviours, whereas multidimensional processing facilitates the flexibility and nuance needed for complex social behaviour.

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Fig. 1: Alternative functional organization schemes of the primate amygdala.
Fig. 2: Face-responsive neurons show non-linear combinations of selectivity.
Fig. 3: Multidimensional selectivity arises from the intersection of brain-wide circuits.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks U. Rutishauser and J. Minxha for helpful comments on an earlier versions of this manuscript and A. Martin for assistance. Supported by grants NIH/NIMH R01 MH121009 and NIH/NIMH P50MH100023.

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Gothard, K.M. Multidimensional processing in the amygdala. Nat Rev Neurosci 21, 565–575 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-020-0350-y

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