# Frontocortical representations of amygdala-mediated learning under uncertainty

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $40,028

## Abstract

Project Abstract
Learning is one of the essential building blocks of cognition. Individuals with mental health conditions, such as
bipolar disorders and schizophrenia, often show symptoms related to learning. A great deal of evidence exists
indicating that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are both heavily involved in
flexible learning under uncertainty, with the basolateral amygdala (BLA) sending robust bidirectional
connections to both cortical structures. I hypothesize that BLA provides OFC and ACC with dissociable signals
that delineate a difference in the expected reward and what was received, vital information for adaptive
learning. In Aim 1, rats will be tested on a novel, dynamic, restless bandit task for flexible learning under
different probabilistic schedules where the reward contingencies switch within the session. While rats perform
this task in some sessions, we will chemogenetically inhibit BLA. A subset of these rats will also express
GCaMP6f in OFC and GRIN lenses directly in this region so that we can use miniscopes to record calcium
traces while the freely-moving rat learns. In parallel Aim 2, rats learning on the same task will instead have
BLA on- or off-line while I record calcium traces in ACC. These approaches will allow us to study how the
uncertainty representations in OFC and ACC differentially depend on BLA input. My central hypothesis is that
OFC and ACC use BLA-supplied information differently: OFC receives information from BLA that is needed to
detect first reversals and setting future adjustments, whereas ACC uses information from BLA to approximate
changes in probabilities over time.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10825354
- **Project number:** 1F31MH135698-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Juan Luis Romero Sosa
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $40,028
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-01-01 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10825354

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10825354, Frontocortical representations of amygdala-mediated learning under uncertainty (1F31MH135698-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10825354. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*