Methods for whole-cell ‘blind’ patch-clamp recordings from principle BLA projection neurons within slices were similar to those reported previously (Lack et al., 2007). Electrodes were filled with an intracellular pipette solution containing (in mM): 122 CsOH, 17.5 CsCl, 10 HEPES, 1 EGTA, 5 NaCl, 0.1 CaCl2, 4 Mg-ATP, 0.3 Na-GTP, and 2 QX-314 (Cl); pH adjusted to 7.2 with gluconic acid; osmolarity between 280–290 mmol/kg. Recordings wereΩ made from glutamatergic projection neurons based on their low input resistance (<40MΩ, (Rainnie, 1999)) and large whole-cell capacitance (McCool and Botting, 2000). These neurons represent 90–95% of the neurons in the BLA (McDonald, 1982).
