Fig. 5
Silencing CeA-PnC excitatory projections during acoustic prepulses and ISIs decreases PPI. a Schematic of acoustic startle reflex and PPI protocols performed using non-injected WT control mice, mice injected with eYFP only (light ON or OFF), and mice injected with Archaerhodopsin (Arch3.0; light ON or OFF). The rightmost schematic represents the hypothesis being tested. b Graph showing no significant effect of green light presented prior to and during 70–120 dB acoustic pulses on basal startle amplitude among animal groups [mouse group: (F(1,11) = 1.417, p = 0.268); light: (F(1) = 0.00155, p = 0.969); sound intensity × light interaction: (F(1,6) = 0.206, p = 0.974)]. c Graph showing no significant main effect of light during 120 dB pulses presented before (basal) vs. randomly during the PPI task, on mean baseline startle amplitude among animal groups (F(1) = 3.124, p = 0.105). d Graph showing that green light paired with acoustic prepulses and ISIs significantly decreased PPI only in mice injected with Arch3.0, at ISIs between 30 and 300 ms. We found a significant effect of ISI (F(1,7) = 24.863, p < 0.001), light: (F(1) = 10.201, p = 0.009), and light × ISI interaction: (F(1,7) = 4.057, p < 0.001) on PPI (Two-way RM ANOVA). N = 8 mice per group. Data are represented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01