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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Apr 26.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Neurosci. 2016 Apr 26;19(6):656–664. doi: 10.1038/nn.4275

Figure 2. Connections and functions of the PL and IL.

Figure 2

(a) Connections and functions of the PL and IL are discussed in this review. For example, interactions between the PL and BLA support the expression of conditioned fear, as well as the reinstatement of cocaine-reinforced behaviors following extinction. PL innervation of the NAC additionally promotes the reinstatement of cocaine-reinforced responding, and interactions with the dorsal striatum are associated with goal-directed response selection. The dorsal striatum may also be a site of integration of oPFC- and mPFC-dependent learning and memory. Meanwhile, the IL is essential to fear extinction, particularly the retention of extinction memory in both appetitive and aversive domains, as well as habit formation. PL-dependent fear expression can be blunted by vHC innervation of inhibitory interneurons, sustaining low levels of conditioned fear following extinction conditioning. The authors note that this figure highlights the connections and models discussed in this manuscript and do not represent all anatomical connections between these regions. (b) These interactions are essential to several types of conditioning – response-outcome, stimulus-outcome, and stimulus-response. Examples are provided. (R = response; O = outcome; S = stimulus.)