Effects of hippocampal microinjections of d-amphetamine and scopolamine on active avoidance behavior in rats.

100 male Sprague-Dawley rats received bilateral injections of 20 or 40 mg of dextroamphetamine or scopolamine into the dorsal or ventral hippocampus prior to each of 8 daily training sessions in a discriminated Y-maze active avoidance task. Scopolamine, but not dextroamphetamine, facilitated avoidance responding in both sites, with the effect being greatest following administration of 20 mg into the dorsal hippocampus. On Days 9 and 10, all Ss received saline injections and were tested for transfer of responding to the nondrug state. A decrement of performance occurred irrespective of whether the drug had facilitated avoidance responding. The performance changes were greater following termination of scopolamine than dextroamphetamine injections, and in no case were so great as those previously reported following peripheral injections of the drugs. (53 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)