Contrasting Roles of Basolateral Amygdala and Orbitofrontal Cortex in Impulsive Choice

Catharine A. Winstanley, David E. H. Theobald, Rudolf N. Cardinal, Trevor W. Robbins

Journal of Neuroscience • 2004

DOI PMC

Delay-Discounting Procedure

behavioralrat

Objective: To measure impulsive choice and intolerance to delay of reinforcement in rats with excitotoxic lesions of the basolateral amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex using a delay-discounting procedure

Protocol Steps

Delay-Discounting Task Testing

Rats with excitotoxic lesions of the BLA and OFC were tested on a delay-discounting procedure to evaluate intolerance to delay of reinforcement and measure impulsive choice

Note: The procedure measures choice between small immediate rewards versus larger but delayed rewards

View evidence from paper

“Rats with excitotoxic lesions of the BLA and OFC were tested on such a delay-discounting procedure”

Measure Preference for Immediate vs Delayed Rewards

Evaluate whether lesioned animals show altered preference patterns - BLA lesions increased choice of small immediate reward indicating greater impulsivity, while OFC lesions increased preference for larger delayed reward

Note: BLA lesions resulted in greater impulsivity; OFC lesions had opposite effect

View evidence from paper

“Although lesions of the BLA increased choice of the small immediate reward, indicating greater impulsivity, OFC lesions had the opposite effect, increasing preference for the larger but delayed reward”