Central amygdala circuits that regulate appetite behavior

Using in vivo activity manipulations and Ca2+ imaging in mice, we found that GABAergic serotonin receptor 2a (Htr2a)-expressing CeA neurons modulate food consumption, promote positive reinforcement and are active in vivo during eating. We have demonstrated electrophysiologically, anatomically and behaviorally that intra-CeA and long-range circuit mechanisms underlie these behaviors. We have also shown that CeAHtr2a neurons receive inputs from feeding-relevant brain regions. These results have illustrated how defined CeA neural circuits positively regulate food consumption (Douglas, Kucukdereli, Ponserre, et al., Nat. Neurosci., 2017). More recently, we have begun to anatomically and functionally map the inputs and outputs of the two major central amygdala subpopulations, the appetite-stimulating CeAHtr2a neurons and anorexigenic CeAPKCδ neurons, to learn how the central amygdala participates in learning processes that link environmental cues with food availability or food quality.