Within the amygdala, the consequences of mode switching are presumably read out in the behavior of the animal. Fear discrimation between learned or innnate stimuli engages synchronous activity within the BLA-mPFC circuit. Safety involves a specific directionality to this synchrony, such that theta activity within the mPFC modulates a gamma-generating circuit in the BLA, presumably suppressing fear and anxiety-related behaviors. Future experiments aimed at exploring the microcircuitry underlying these phenomena and causally testing their relationship to behavior will further clarify the mechanisms by which the BLA-mPFC circuit distinguishes fear and safety.
