Spontaneous oscillatory burst activity in the piriform–amygdala region and its relation to in vitro respiratory activity in newborn rats

The amygdala is important for the formation of emotions that are affected by olfactory information. The piriform cortex is involved in information processing related to olfaction. To investigate functional interactions between the piriform cortex and amygdala and their relation to medullary respiratory activity, we developed a novel in vitro preparation including the limbic system, brainstem, and spinal cord of newborn rats. With the use of optical and electrophysiologic recordings, we analyzed spontaneous neuronal activity in the piriform–amygdala complex in limbic–brainstem–spinal cord preparations from 0- to 1-day-old rats. For optical recordings, the preparation was stained with a voltage-sensitive dye, and inspiratory activity was monitored from the fourth cervical (C4) ventral root. Spontaneous oscillatory burst activity (up to 10/min) was detected from the rostral cut surface of limbic and para-limbic regions including the piriform cortex and amygdala. The burst activity initially appeared in the piriform cortex and then propagated to the amygdala. We averaged the imaging data in the limbic area with the use of C4 inspiratory activity as a trigger signal. The results suggest functional coupling of the rhythmic burst activity in the piriform–amygdala complex to medullary inspiratory activity, which was confirmed electrophysiologically by cross-correlation analysis of these signals. This rhythmic burst activity may be involved in the development of neuronal circuits that process information related to olfaction, emotion, and respiration.