title: Effects of selective excitotoxic lesions of the nucleus accumbens core, anterior cingulate cortex, and central nucleus of the amygdala on autoshaping performance in rats.
abstract: The nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are required for normal acquisition of tasks based on stimulus-reward associations. However, it is not known whether they are involved purely in the learning process or are required for behavioral expression of a learned response. Rats were trained preoperatively on a Pavlovian autoshaping task in which pairing a visual conditioned stimulus (CS+) with food causes subjects to approach the CS+ while not approaching an unpaired stimulus (CS-). Subjects then received lesions of the AcbC, ACC, or CeA before being retested. AcbC lesions severely impaired performance; lesioned subjects approached the CS+ significantly less often than controls, failing to discriminate between the CS+ and CS-. ACC lesions also impaired performance but did not abolish discrimination entirely. CeA lesions had no effect on performance. Thus, the CeA is required for learning, but not expression, of a conditioned approach response, implying that it makes a specific contribution to the learning of stimulus-reward associations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rudolf N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Cardinal
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lachenal
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Halkerston
authors.forename: Nung
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rudarakanchana
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Caroline H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Howes
authors.forename: Trevor W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Everitt
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats