PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Caesar M. Hernandez
AU  - Caitlin A. Orsini
AU  - Chase C. Labiste
AU  - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
AU  - Tyler W. Ten Eyck
AU  - Matthew M. Bruner
AU  - Todd J. Sahagian
AU  - Scott W. Harden
AU  - Charles J. Frazier
AU  - Barry Setlow
AU  - Jennifer L. Bizon
TI  - Aging alters the role of basolateral amygdala in intertemporal choice
AID  - 10.1101/556894
DP  - 2019 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 556894
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/02/21/556894.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/02/21/556894.full
AB  - Aging is associated with an increased ability to delay gratification. Moreover, even when matched for performance, young and aged subjects recruit distinct brain circuitry to complete complex cognitive tasks. Experiments herein used an optogenetic approach to test whether altered recruitment of the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region implicated in valuation of reward-cost contingencies, contributes to age-dependent changes in intertemporal decision making. BLA inactivation while rats deliberated prior to choices between options that yielded either small, immediate or large, delayed rewards rendered both young and aged rats less impulsive. In contrast, BLA inactivation after choices were made (during evaluation of choice outcomes) rendered young rats more impulsive but had no effect in aged rats. These data define multiple, temporally-discrete roles for BLA circuits in intertemporal decision making and implicate altered recruitment of BLA in the elevated preference for delayed rewards that is characteristic of advanced age.Impact Statement Basolateral amygdala (BLA) performs multiple, temporally-discrete functions during intertemporal decision making. Differential engagement of BLA contributes to the enhanced ability to delay gratification that is characteristic of advanced ages.(BLA)basolateral amygdala(FBN)Fischer 344 x Brown Norway hybrid(ITI)intertrial interval