The role of the amygdala central nucleus (CeN) in habit learning was assessed two experiments. First, we examined effects bilateral lesions anterior CeN on an overtraining-induced lever press evaluated using outcome devaluation protocol. Overtraining generated habitual performance and rendered sham lesioned rats insensitive to devaluation, effect that also found given control posterior CeN. In contrast, with did not show normal acquisition their remained goal-directed sensitive devaluation....

Goal-directed action involves making high-level choices that are implemented using previously acquired sequences to attain desired goals. Such a hierarchical schema is necessary for goal-directed actions be scalable real-life situations, but results in decision-making less flexible than when unfolded and the decision-maker deliberates step-by-step over outcome of each individual action. In particular, from this perspective, offline revaluation any outcomes fall within sequence boundaries...

Abstract The basolateral amygdala (BLA) complex receives dense cholinergic projections from the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) and horizontal limb diagonal band Broca (HDB). present experiments examined whether these regulate formation, extinction, renewal fear memories. This was achieved by employing a Pavlovian conditioning protocol optogenetics in transgenic rats. Silencing NBM during weakened memory produced that abolished its after extinction. By contrast, silencing HDB had no effect....

The present study investigated how oxytocin (OT) signaling in the central (CeA) and basolateral (BLA) amygdala affects acquisition, expression, extinction of context-conditioned fear (freezing) rats. In first set experiments, acquisition to a shocked context was impaired by preconditioning infusion synthetic OT into CeA (Experiment 1) or BLA 2). second expression enhanced pre- post-extinction (Experiments 3–6) selective receptor agonist, TGOT 4). This enhancement blocked coadministration an...

Extinction and latent inhibition each refer to a reduction in conditioned responding: the former occurs when pairings of stimulus (CS) an unconditioned (US) are followed by repeated presentations CS alone; latter alone precede its with US. The present experiments used fear conditioning test hypothesis that both phenomena involve similar form inhibitory learning recruits common neuronal substrates. We found initial memory established extinction is reactivated infralimbic (IL) cortex during...

Pavlovian conditioning enables predictive stimuli to control action performance and selection. The present experiments used sensory-specific satiety examine the role of outcome value in these two forms control. Experiment 1 employed a general Pavlovian-instrumental transfer design show that stimulus predicting food energizes an instrumental earning another outcome. This energizing effect was removed when stimulus-predicted or novel devalued by satiety. Experiments 2 3 specific demonstrate...

A series of experiments employed a specific Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) task in rats to determine the capacity various treatments undermine two outcome-specific stimulus-outcome (S-O) associations. Experiment 1 tested random treatment, which involved uncorrelated presentations stimuli and their predicted outcomes. This treatment disrupted S-O associations drive PIT. 2 used negative-contingency during outcomes were exclusively delivered absence associated stimulus. spared PIT,...

Obesity can disrupt how food-predictive stimuli control action performance and selection. These two forms of recruit cholinergic interneurons (CIN) located in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) shell (NAcS), respectively. Given that obesity is associated with insulin resistance this region, we examined whether interfering CIN signaling disrupts actions. To interfere used a high-fat diet (HFD) or genetic excision receptor (InsR) from cells. HFD left intact capacity to energize an earning food...

Reversal learning is thought to involve an extinction-like process that inhibits the expression of initial learning. However, behavioral evidence for this inhibition remains difficult interpret as various procedures have been employed study reversal Here, we used a discrimination task in rats examine whether produced by sensitive passage time extinction. Experiment 1 showed when tested immediately after training, were able use reversed contingencies solve outcome-specific manner. This...

A stimulus that predicts the delivery of a specific food outcome can bias performance towards instrumental actions earn same in phenomenon known as Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT). The precise mechanism by which action is selected under these circumstances has remained elusive. present set experiments explored whether treatments undermine response-outcome (R-O) association also affect expression PIT. Consistent with previous work, Experiment 1 we showed PIT remains intact after an...

Abstract Obesity can disrupt how food-predictive stimuli control action performance and selection. These two forms of recruit cholinergic interneurons (CIN) located in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) shell (NAcS), respectively. Given that obesity is associated with insulin resistance this region, we examined whether interfering CIN signaling disrupts actions. To interfere used a high-fat diet (HFD) or genetic excision receptor (InsR) from cells. HFD left intact capacity to energize an...