The sense of smell has a unique link to emotions and odors can trigger memories of past emotional experiences. In patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), odor can elicit memories of past traumatic events and induce heightened anxiety. A particular present day common example is the smell of smoke that may trigger war-veterans suffering from PTSD. This powerful link between the sense of smell and emotional experiences is thought to be based on the rather direct pathways between early brain regions within the olfactory pathways and the amygdala, yet these pathways have not been thoroughly studied.

Our lab recently discovered that much of the communication between olfactory brain regions and the basolateral amygdala – a main center for learning and memory of emotional experiences – is done via the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract (NLOT). As shown below, we have evidence that olfactory aversive memories rely on the intact function of the NLOT, suggesting that this nucleus may be an important gateway in the formation of traumatic odor memories. In my postdoc I will elucidate the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity that are involved in this negative learning process. I will use optogenetics and electrical activation of olfactory and BLA inputs in acute slices, along with whole cell patch clamp recordings, to characterize synaptic plasticity within the NLOT that may underlie traumatic memories. Revealing these mechanisms may provide a path to better treatments for patients with PTSD.

Supervisor: Prof. Dan Rokni