Figure 5.

Prefrontal cortical summation is associated with BLA suppression of MgN input. A change score was created to measure within subject differences in PFC–BLA responses to train stimulation and subsequent MgN–BLA responses. There was a significant difference between FC (n = 9) and naïve adults (n = 15), but not adolescents (naïve n = 13; FC n = 12) (A). Following FC, the effect of PFC train stimulation on a subsequent MgN–BLA response was correlated with age, with adults showing lower MgN–BLA responses when compared with adolescents (adult n = 11; adolescent n = 12) (B). Schematic of hypothesized PFC–MgN–BLA interactions during development following fear learning, where PFC–BLA responses are measured as the summation ratio and the change in summation ratio is related to the degree of suppression of MgN–BLA responses. Suppression of MgN responses by PFC inputs may be related to maturation of PFC inputs to the BLA through recruitment of inhibitory processes (C). * p < 0.05.