Data_Sheet_1_The central amygdala modulates distinctive conflict-like behaviors in a naturalistic foraging task.pdf

Conflict situations elicit a diverse range of behaviors that extend beyond the simplistic approach or avoidance dichotomy. However, many conflict-related studies have primarily focused on approach suppression, neglecting the complexity of these behaviors. In our study, we exposed rats to a semi-naturalistic foraging task, presenting them with a trade-off between a food reward and a predatory threat posed by a robotic agent. We observed that rats displayed two conflict-like behaviors (CLBs)—diagonal approach and stretched posture—when facing a robotic predator guarding a food pellet. After electrolytic lesions to the central amygdala (CeA), both conflict behaviors were significantly reduced, accompanied by a decrease in avoidance behavior (hiding) and an increase in approach behavior (frequency of interactions with the robot). A significant negative correlation between avoidance and approach behaviors emerged after the CeA lesion; however, our data suggest that CLBs are not tightly coupled with either approach or avoidance behaviors, showing no significant correlation to those behaviors. Our findings indicate that the CeA plays a crucial role in modulating conflict behaviors, competing with approach suppression in risky situations.

冲突情境可引发丰富多样的行为谱系，并非仅局限于趋近与回避的二元对立简化框架。然而，现有诸多冲突相关研究多聚焦于趋近抑制，却忽视了这类行为的复杂性。本研究中，我们让大鼠参与一项半自然觅食任务，使其面临食物奖励与机器人智能体（robotic agent）带来的捕食威胁之间的权衡抉择。我们观察到，当大鼠面对守护食物颗粒的机器捕食者时，会表现出两种冲突样行为（conflict-like behaviors, CLBs）——斜向趋近与拉伸姿态。对中央杏仁核（central amygdala, CeA）进行电解损伤后，两类冲突样行为均显著减少，同时伴随回避行为（躲藏行为）的减少与趋近行为（与机器人的互动频次）的增加。中央杏仁核损伤后，回避行为与趋近行为之间出现了显著的负相关；但我们的数据表明，冲突样行为与趋近或回避行为均未呈现紧密耦合关系，二者与这两类行为均无显著相关性。本研究结果表明，中央杏仁核在调控冲突样行为中发挥关键作用，可在风险情境中对抗趋近抑制。