Conditioned place preference from intra-accumbens but not intra-caudate amphetamine injections

It is suggested that amphetamine-stimulated release of dopamine in nucleus accumbens can increase the incentive value of neutral stimuli with which it is paired, and functional differentiation between different parts of the dopaminergic terminal system is suggested.

Abstract

Rats received injections of d-amphetamine sulphate (10 micrograms in 0.5 ul) in nucleus accumbens and were placed into one of two (randomly assigned) distinctive environments. The next day the rats were placed into the other environment and received either a saline injection or no treatment. This procedure was repeated six times. When the rats were allowed a free choice between the two environments they showed a significant preference for the one that had been paired with amphetamine. This finding suggests that amphetamine-stimulated release of dopamine in nucleus accumbens can increase the incentive value of neutral stimuli with which it is paired. When the same procedure was carried out with a group of rats that received amphetamine injections in the dorsolateral caudate nucleus, no preference for the side paired with the drug was evident. This suggests that there is functional differentiation between different parts of the dopaminergic terminal system.