title: Acquisition of specific response-outcome associations requires NMDA receptor activation in the basolateral amygdala but not in the insular cortex.
abstract: The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the gustatory region of the insular cortex (IC) are required for the encoding and retrieval of outcome value. Here, we examined if these regions are also necessary to learn associations between actions and their outcomes. Hungry rats were first trained to press two levers for a common outcome. Next, specific response-outcome (R-O) associations were introduced such that each response now earned a distinct food outcome. Prior to each specific R-O training session, rats received a bilateral infusion of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, DL-APV, into either the BLA or the IC. One of the two outcomes was then devalued immediately prior to a choice test. Inhibition of NMDA receptor activity in the BLA, but not the IC, during the acquisition of specific R-O associations abolished selective devaluation. These results indicate that the BLA is critical for learning the association between actions and their specific consequences.
authors.affiliation: INRA, Nutrition and Integrative Neurobiology, UMR 1286, 33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, 33076 Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: shauna.parkes@u-bordeaux.fr.
authors.forename: Shauna L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Parkes
authors.affiliation: INRA, Nutrition and Integrative Neurobiology, UMR 1286, 33076 Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, 33076 Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coutureau
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate
keywords: Acquisition; Amygdala; Conditioning; Goal-directed behavior; Instrumental; Insular cortex