THE VENTRAL PALLIDUM AREA IS INVOLVED IN THE ACQUISITION BUT NOT EXPRESSION OF THE AMPHETAMINE CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE

The present study examined the roles of the ventral pallidum area, one output system of the nucleus accumbens, in the acquisition and expression of the amphetamine conditioned place preference (CPP). Pre-conditioning NMDA lesions of the ventral pallidum area completely abolished the acquisition of the CPP. By contrast, post-conditioning NMDA lesions of the same area had no effect on the expression of the CPP. These results suggest that the ventral pallidum area mediates some process that involves the primary, but not conditioned rewarding effects of amphetamine.