No deficits in auditory information processing were seen in the ventral striatum of MAM rats when compared with SAL treated controls. However, the core, a major recipient of cortical afferents, appeared to play a role in intensity processing at a a similar latency to that seen in the orbitofrontal cortex. Both the core and the shell display an prepulse intensity-dependent modulation of the response to the startle stimulus. (Top traces of each subfigure) Grand averaged AEPs for SAL and MAM treated animals respectively. (A,D) Earlier occuring maximum evoked potential amplitudes and (B,E) later occuring maximum evoked potential amplitudes for the prepulse intensities. (C,F) Evoked potential amplitudes of the P20 component of the potentials evoked to the startle-stimulus during both prepulse and startle alone trials (+0dB). * indicates a significant effect of treatment between SAL and MAM animals. # indicates a significant effect of prepulse intensity. Data are plotted as the mean ± SEM.