Reversible inactivation of brain areas is a useful method for inferring brain-behavior relationships. Infusion of GABA or of the GABA receptor agonist muscimol is considered one interesting reversible inactivation method because it may not affect fibers of passage and may therefore be compared to axon-sparing types of lesions. This article reviews the data obtained with this method in learning ...

Pavlovian stimuli can markedly elevate instrumental responding, an effect known as Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT). As the role of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in PIT is yet unknown, we examined the effects of transient VTA inactivation by direct microinjections of a mixture of the GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptor agonists, muscimol and baclofen. Results reveal that PIT, i.e., the increas...