SPARED RETENTION OF INHIBITORY AVOIDANCE-LEARNING AFTER POSTTRAINING AMYGDALA LESIONS

Previous findings indicate that the memory-impairing effects of posttr aining amygdala lesions are attenuated by increasing the number of tra ining trials given prior to the induction of the lesion. The aim of th is experiment was to determine whether the degree of impairment is als o influenced by the footshock intensity used during training. Rats wer e given 1 trial of inhibitory avoidance (IA) training with either no f ootshock or a footshock at 1 of 3 intensities. Sham or neurotoxic amyg dala lesions were induced 1 week later. On a retention test performed 4 days after surgery, the performance of all amygdala-lesioned rats gi ven footshock training, including those given the lowest training foot shock, was better than that of amygdala-lesioned rats given no trainin g footshock. These findings of preserved retention of IA learning in r ats given posttraining amygdala lesions do not support a general hypot hesis that the amygdala is a locus of permanent changes underlying ave rsively motivated learning.