A dissociation of dorso-lateral striatum and amygdala function on the same stimulus-response habit task.
This experiment tested the idea that the amygdala-based learning and memory system covertly acquires a stimulus-reward (stimulus-outcome) association during acquisition of a stimulus-response (S-R) habit task developed for the eight-arm radial maze. Groups of rats were given dorso-lateral striatal or amygdala lesions and then trained on the S-R habit task on the eight-arm radial maze. Rats with neurotoxic damage to the dorso-lateral striatum were severely impaired on the acquisition of the S-R habit task but showed a conditioned-cue preference for the stimulus reinforced during S-R habit training. Rats with neurotoxic damage to the amygdala were able to acquire the S-R habit task but did not show a conditioned-cue preference for the stimulus reinforced during S-R habit training. This pattern of results represents a dissociation of learning and memory functions of the dorsal striatum and amygdala on the same task.
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3. r.mcdonald@uleth.ca
R J
RJ
McDonald
N S
NS
Hong
D000679:Amygdala / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003714:Denervation; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009498:Neurotoxins; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward
D009498:Neurotoxins