The effects of amygdala lesions on conditioned stimulus-potentiated eating in rats

Both control rats and rats with neurotoxic lesions of the amygdala central nucleus ate more food during presentations of a conditioned stimulus (CS) previously paired with food than during an unpaired CS. This potentiation occurred regardless of whether the food was presented in its usual place or in a different location. By contrast, rats with neurotoxic lesions of basolateral amygdala showed no evidence for conditioned potentiation of eating. These results are considered in the context of anatomical projections from these amygdalar areas to other brain regions involved in feeding, and the role of amygdala subregions in the acquisition of motivational value in conditioning.