title: The effects of intra-amygdaloid injections of 6-hydroxy-dopamine on avoidance responding in rats.
abstract: 1 The effects of bilateral intra-amygdaloid injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on shuttle box avoidance acquisition, retention, and extinction, and passive avoidance acquisition were examined in rats. 2 Intra amygdaloid 6-OHDA injections produced catecholamine depletion in and around the amygdalae but failed to reduce striatal dopamine concentrations. 3 Conditioned avoidance acquisition was markedly inhibited in 6-OHDA-treated rats whereas retention and extinction were only slightly impaired. 4 Passive avoidance acquisition was slightly but significantly improved in rats with amygdaloid 6-OHDA lesions. 5 Treated rats showed no motor abnormalities, they were not hypoactive in a photocell activity cage and they performed as well as controls on a rotating rod. 6 It is suggested that the conditioned avoidance acquisition deficit in rats with amygdaloid 6-OHDA lesions may be related to an impairment of associative learning rather than to perceptual or motor disturbances.
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000032:analysis; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D001679:Biogenic Amines; D006892:Hydroxydopamines