The instinctual attachment of young animals to their mothers is crucial for survival. Demonstrating the overriding importance of attachment, very young rat pups learn to prefer an odor coupled to electrical shock if the mother is present. This paper shows that low amygdalar dopamine signaling in very young pups is essential for their paradoxical response to odor/shock conditioning.
- Gordon A Barr
- Stephanie Moriceau
- Regina M Sullivan