title: Facilitation of appetitive pavlovian conditioning by d-amphetamine in the shell, but not the core, of the nucleus accumbens.
abstract: The effects of postsession d-amphetamine within subregions of the ventral and dorsal striatum on appetitive Pavlovian learning were assessed. Rats acquired a conditioned approach response on presentation of a stimulus predictive of 10% sucrose solution (unconditioned stimulus [US]), but not during equally frequent presentations of a stimulus uncorrelated with the US. In Experiment 1, postsession d-amphetamine infusions enhanced acquisition of conditioned responding, with no effect on control measures. In Experiment 2, rats received postsession d-amphetamine in the accumbens shell or core. Shell infusions facilitated conditioning; core infusions did not. In Experiment 3, dorsomedial striatal infusions of d-amphetamine also were ineffective. In sum, dopaminergic activation within the shell, but not the core, of the nucleus accumbens facilitates the acquisition of a Pavlovian association.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, United Kingdom. g.phillips@psych.york.ac.uk
authors.forename: Gavin D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Setzu
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Hitchcott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects*; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine