Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis (BNST) circuits

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a limbic forebrain structure nestled below the lateral ventricles, surrounding the anterior commissure, and its neighboring regions, the striatum, thalamus, and hypothalamus. The BNST is an integral component of the extended amygdala, a network of brain areas that span the anterior/posterior gradient of the brain starting anterior in the nucleus accumbens, continuing through the transition areas, and into the BNST and the central nucleus of the amygdala. The BNST has functional outputs relevant for reward and stress, and it is interconnected with brain areas involved in generating and regulating mood and overall emotional state. Various brain circuits are regulated by BNST outputs, and complex intrinsic microcircuits regulate the overall activity state of the BNST and modulate outputs to other brain areas. The BNST integrates cortical and subcortical inputs to determine affective state and whether a stimulus/situation will produce fear, anxiety, depression, irritability, or reward motivation/goal-directed behavior. On the cellular level, this highly heterogeneous brain area contains a diverse population of cell types and inputs, thus allowing for nuanced regulation of emotional state and behavioral responses.