Elsevier

Behavioural Brain Research

Volume 59, Issues 1–2, 31 December 1993, Pages 153-159
Behavioural Brain Research

Research report
Amygdala modulates memory for changes in reward magnitude: Reversible post-training inactivation with lidocaine attenuates the response to a reduction in reward

https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-4328(93)90162-JGet rights and content

Abstract

The present study used a reward reduction paradigm to examine the role of the amygdala in memory for reduction in reward magnitude. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with bilateral amygdala cannulae and trained to run a straight alley (6 trials/day) for either ten or one 45-mg food pellets. On Day 10 of training, half the animals in the 10 pellet reward group were shifted to a one pellet reward. Immediately following shifted trials, the animals received an intra-amygdala injection of either a 2% lidocaine solution or phosphate buffer (0.5 μl/side). Shifted training continued for 2 more days and no further injections were given. Shifted animals that received a buffer injection displayed a sharp increase in response latencies compared to unshifted controls on the second day of shifted training. In contrast, shifted animals that received intraamygdala injections of lidocaine exhibited significantly lower latencies compared to the shifted vehicle group on the second day of shifted training. The findings indicate that post-training inactivation of the amygdala attenuates the response to reward reduction, suggesting that the amygdala modulates the storage of memory for a reduction in reward magnitude.

References (37)

  • J.P. Aggleton

    The functional effects of amygdala lesions in humans: a comparison with findings from monkeys

  • A. Amsel

    The role of frustrative nonreward in noncontinuous reward situations

    Psychol. Bull.

    (1958)
  • A. Amsel et al.

    Motivational properties of frustration: I. Effect on a running response of the addition of frustration to the motivational complex

    J. Exp. Psychol.

    (1952)
  • L.P. Crespi

    Quantitative variation in incentive and performance in the white rat

    Am. J. Psychol.

    (1942)
  • M. Davis

    Pharmacological and anatomical analysis of fear conditioning using the fear-potentiated startle paradigm

    Behav. Neurosci.

    (1986)
  • M. Davis et al.

    A primary acoustic startle circuit: Lesion and stimulation studies

    J. Neurosci.

    (1982)
  • J.M.R. Delgado et al.

    Evoking conditioned fear by electrical stimulation of subcortical structures in the monkey brain

    J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol.

    (1956)
  • M.H. Elliott

    The effect of change of reward on the maze performance of rats

    University of California Publications—Psychology

    (1928)
  • Cited by (61)

    • Post-training intra-basolateral complex of the amygdala infusions of clenbuterol enhance memory for conditioned place preference and increase ARC protein expression in dorsal hippocampal synaptic fractions

      2021, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
      Citation Excerpt :

      However, we cannot rule out the possibility that training in the unpaired arm produces a negative experience due to the lack of reward availability. The BLA is known to modulate memory of reward reduction and is critical for a conditioned aversive response to a goal box after reward reduction (Salinas & White, 1998; Salinas, Introini-Collison, Dalmaz, & McGaugh, 1997; Salinas, Packard, & McGaugh, 1993). Ultimately, our data suggest that activation of BLA β-adrenoceptors may serve as a widespread mechanism for modulating synaptic plasticity in efferent brain regions to facilitate long-term memory consolidation of different aspects of memory.

    • The basolateral amygdala in reward learning and addiction

      2015, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
      Citation Excerpt :

      These data shed light on the important role of reward history in appetitive behavior. Many years later, the McGaugh lab was the first to show that the amygdala mediates the responses to these shifts in reward magnitude (Salinas et al., 1993). The BLA is involved when the outcome of an action (e.g., maze run) differs in magnitude from that expected based on that action's reward history (Salinas et al., 1993).

    • Behavioral neuroscience of psychological pain

      2015, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
      Citation Excerpt :

      This has been done using the iSNC paradigm, in the runway, with a 10-to-1 pellet downshift, and targeting the amygdala. In one experiment, Salinas et al. (1993) infused lidocaine in several amygdala locations immediately after the first downshift session. Lidocaine is a sodium-channel blocker that produces a reversible inactivation of neural activity.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text