# Activity dynamics in central amygdala during habit formation

> **NIH NIH F99** · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · 2020 · $46,520

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Decision-making is critical for survival but is a complex process to understand at the level of brain function.
Animals and humans alike can use two strategies to solve problems of decision-making: goal-directed or habitual
behavior. Habits emerge late in training as animals transition from reliance on a goal-directed strategy to a habit
with experience. Biologically, habits are known to develop via communication between a network of areas that
span across the brain. Of particular interest for habit formation are the prefrontal cortex (IL), the sensorimotor
striatum (DLS), dopaminergic projections to the striatum (SNc), and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA).
Previous work has shown that a characteristic neuronal signature develops in IL and DLS, where as a habit
develops, single-unit neuronal activity accentuates the beginning and end of actions of the behavior as it
becomes well-learned. Importantly, as habits are comprised of multiple components (e.g. efficiency of action
sequences and insensitivity to goal value), these individual features correlate with neural activity in distinct brain
areas across the habit network (IL: outcome devaluation insensitivity, DLS: action vigor). However, there is a
gap in knowledge in how activity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) codes habits or how that activity
relates to the function of these other interconnected areas
 The objective of this project is to define how neural activity in CeA contributes to habit formation and
whether a distinct component of behavior correlates with neural activity. The rationale is that the habit network
is conserved across mammals as habits are ubiquitous and the potential for basic research to translate into
bettering the human condition is high. The central hypothesis is that CeA neurons will develop a “chunking”
pattern of activity that is necessary for a habit to develop, with behavioral correlates of this neural activity similar
to those that correlate with IL. Guided by methods and data from Specific Aim 1, where behavioral phenotypes
of habit and methodology to test habit formation are addressed, Specific Aim 2 will, through in-vivo
electrophysiology, determine if CeA activity brackets in a manner similar to IL, DLS, and SNc as a habit forms
on an elevated plus-maze task. Specific Aim 3 details a plan to identify and pursue a postdoctoral research
fellowship upon completion of the dissertation work described in Specific Aim 2. Overall, the proposed
experiment has the potential to provide mental health clinicians and researchers significant insight into how
compulsive actions may arise from improperly timed amygdalar activity and will further define how neural activity
can contribute to psychological phenomena such as habit formation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9999405
- **Project number:** 5F99NS115270-02
- **Recipient organization:** DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Kenneth Amaya
- **Activity code:** F99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $46,520
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9999405

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9999405, Activity dynamics in central amygdala during habit formation (5F99NS115270-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9999405. Licensed CC0.

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