Electrolytic lesions of the cortical and adjacent nuclei in the amygdala differentially influence thresholds for rewarding medial forebrain bundle stimulation

Behav Neurosci. 2002 Aug;116(4):660-71.

Abstract

After electrolytic lesions to the cortical and adjacent amygdaloid subnuclei, thresholds for rewarding medial forebrain bundle (MFB) stimulation were tracked in 19 rats with bilateral implants and 8 with single implants. Results were categorized into 3 groups depending on the magnitude of the lesion effect on ipsilateral frequency thresholds: substantial (> 60%), small (> 26%), or none (< 26%), compared with baseline values. Five rats exhibited threshold increases up to 225%, among the largest reported to the authors' knowledge. Small shifts were observed in another 5 rats, and no change in the remaining 17 rats. Threshold changes in the contralateral electrode mirrored ipsilateral ones. Results suggest that specific amygdaloid subnuclei modulate MFB reward signals through a diffuse collateralized organization of fibers and lend support to the existence of interhemispheric links in MFB reward pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amygdala / pathology
  • Amygdala / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Cerebral Cortex / pathology
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology*
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Electrodes
  • Male
  • Prosencephalon / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Reinforcement, Psychology*