CBS Seminar Series: Charlotte Lawrenson- The role of cerebellar-periaqueductal grey interactions in emotional control and pain

Studies have found that the cerebellum plays a role in regulating our emotions and pain perception. A potential mechanism for this could be through its interactions with the periaqueductal grey (PAG). The PAG is known to act as a critical hub that co-ordinates a defensive response to an aversive threat and contributes to the neural circuits underlying flight or freezing related behaviours. It also plays a key role in the descending pain modulatory system. Using rodent models of fear and pain, I will present evidence that cerebellar-PAG interactions contribute to fear-induced freezing behaviour and the encoding of PAG neurons to a fear-conditioned auditory cue. I will also share some recent unpublished findings investigating the role of this pathway in the emotional regulation of neuropathic pain.