Effects of amygdala lesions on taste aversions produced by amphetamine and LiCl

Rats which sustained bilateral damage to the amygdala were treated with one of two diversely acting agents (either d-amphetamine sulphate 4 mg/kg, or lithium chloride 0.24 M) in a taste aversion paradigm. Both groups of animals showed an attenuation of the aversion on the first test day after the initial pairing with the drug thus demonstrating that this effect of the lesion was not UCS specific. The implication of these findings for the hypothesis concerning the role of the amygdala in taste aversion conditioning is discussed.