Functional lateralization of medial prefrontal circuits in stress and mood disorder

Abstract

Medial prefrontal cortex has known to be involved in various high-cognitive functions and emotional responses through prominent connections with other brain areas. In this thesis, we study the function dissection of mPFC in two kinds of behavior

susceptibility to chronic stress and extinction of conditioned fear. In chapter I, the molecular mechanism for functional difference between the left and the right mPFC in stressed mice is demonstrated by microarray analysis and function of connective tissue growth factor in mediating this laterality is elucidated. In chapter II, using optogenetics, neural circuits in infralimblc cortex is divided as presynaptic inputs from BLA and postsynaptic output and the function of each circuit in fear extinction is analyzed.