Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization is not associated with loss of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the amygdala.

We investigated whether cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization (15 mg/kg, twice daily for 7 days) is associated with changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the lateral-basolateral amygdala of male Sprague-Dawley rats. The number of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the amygdala did not differ between cocaine- and saline-treated rats. Although some aspects of this behavioral phenomenon parallel the kindling model of epilepsy, limbic alterations in GABA neurons do not appear to be associated with behavioral sensitization to cocaine.