Adult rats with amygdala lesions made at either Postnatal Day (PND) 10 or P
ND40 were tested on a series of reversal tasks that tap the ability to form
stimulus-reward associations. PND40 rats were significantly impaired relat
ive to both controls and PND10 rats on learning rate of the original discri
mination and subsequent reversals. Analyses of discrete learning phases rev
ealed that the impairment was specific to the postchance phase. The PND10 g
roup was not impaired relative to controls on any measure. These results co
nfirm prior findings that amygdala lesions sustained in adulthood impair th
e formation of stimulus-reward associations. They also demonstrate that sub
stantial sparing or recovery of function is possible when the lesion is mad
e during early development. Furthermore, the findings support the view that
behavioral recovery may be more likely if the lesion is sustained near the
time of peak synaptogenesis.