Posttraining intra-basolateral amygdala scopolamine impairs food- and amphetamine-induced conditioned place preferences.

The present study investigated the role of cholinergic muscarinic receptor function within the basolateral amygdala memory in the consolidation of conditioned place preference (CPP) memory. Adult male Long-Evans rats were confined to treatment- or nontreatment-paired compartments for 30 min on 4 alternating days. After training, rats received intrabasolateral amygdala infusions of scopolamine (2.5 microg or 5.0 microg/0.5 microl) or saline. The rats were then given a 20-min test session, and the time spent in each of the compartments was recorded. Immediate posttraining (but not delayed 2 hr) scopolamine (5.0 microg) blocked acquisition of food- and amphetamine-induced CPPs. The findings indicate a time-dependent role for basolateral amygdala muscarinic receptors in memory consolidation underlying CPPs for natural and drug rewards.