This study examined the role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in adapting behavior to changes in reinforcer value. Rats were trained to choose between rewards signaled by auditory cues, and reinforcer characteristics were systematically altered. While rats showed limited sensitivity to changes in cues or reinforcer quality, reversing reward magnitudes reduced preference for the previously larger reward. Lesions to the BLA before training impaired this adaptive response, but lesions after training did not. Findings support a key role for the BLA in linking sensory properties of outcomes to flexible, value-based decision-making.
