Alcino J. Silva

Abstract Prior memories can be integrated with novel experiences during learning to facilitate memory organization. This process must be tightly regulated to prevent inappropriate integration of unrelated memories. However, the biological mechanisms underlying such control are currently unknown.

Abstract Chronic stress can change how we learn and, thus, how we make decisions1,2,3,4,5. Here we investigated the neuronal circuit mechanisms that enable this. Using a multifaceted systems neuroscience approach in male and female mice, we reveal a dual-pathway, amygdala–striatal neuronal circuit architecture by which a recent history of chronic stress disrupts the action–outcome learning underlying adaptive agency and promotes the formation of inflexible habits.

CEI cumulative evidence index In the last four to five decades, meta-analysis has included increasingly sophisticated methods to statistically combine evidence from multiple studies, yielding greater statistical power in effect-size estimates (Gurevitch et al., 2018). A general challenge with such methods is the heterogeneity of datasets.