# Functional connectivity in a novel cerebellar-amygdala circuit that regulates fear extinction

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2023 · $23,024

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The cerebellum (CB) has long been considered a purely motor structure; however, studies over the last few
decades have revealed vital, non-motor functions as well, including a key role in limbic processing. The
cerebellum is involved in both the experience of emotion and in controlling the appropriate autonomic,
cognitive, and behavioral responses, and plays an important part in all phases of emotional memory, including
acquisition, consolidation, storage and retrieval, and extinction. Dysfunctions of the cerebellum have been
associated with various neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders such as cognitive affective syndrome,
schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. To accomplish so much in both the motor and cognitive domains, the
cerebellum is thought to integrate diverse inputs and send predictions about optimal behavioral outputs to the
rest of the brain. However, the pathways and mechanisms involved in this type of processing remain poorly
understood. My lab has recently discovered novel disynaptic pathways connecting the cerebellum and the
amygdala via the intralaminar thalamus (Th) (centromedial and parafascicular nuclei) and ventral tegmental
area (VTA) which may play a fundamental role in these expanded cognitive and emotional functions. The
experiments outlined in this proposal will focus on examining if the novel cerebello-thalamo-amygdala pathway
is involved in fear extinction learning, where signals about unexpected outcomes are thought to guide changes
in behavior. In these experiments, I will measure activity in the pathway using calcium imaging with fiber
photometry and manipulate signaling with optogenetics. In tandem, in slice electrophysiology experiments, I
will examine the cellular and synaptic properties of CB-Th connectivity. Together, this proposal will provide
novel insights into what the cerebellum might be doing in the context of emotional learning, the necessity of the
specific pathway in non-motor behavior, and the signaling properties within each microcircuit. These
explorations will add to our understanding of cerebellar limbic functions and help guide future studies of how
these circuits may be impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders to propel the search for more effective treatments.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10691256
- **Project number:** 5F31MH131405-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Ksenia Vlasov
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $23,024
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10691256

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10691256, Functional connectivity in a novel cerebellar-amygdala circuit that regulates fear extinction (5F31MH131405-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10691256. Licensed CC0.

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