Changes in the activity of dopamine-containing systems in relation to preparatory and consummatory feeding responses were investigated. In Exp 1 rats were conditioned to associate food delivery with the presentation of a conditional stimulus (CS+). When sacrificed after exposure to the CS+ alone on a test trial, the ratio of the dopamine metabolite 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid to dopamine ({dopac/da} ratio) was increased significantly in the nucleus accumbens. A similar trend in the ratio of homovanillic acid to dopamine ({hva/da} ratio) was also observed. Similar increases were observed in the striatum, but these were not statistically significant. In contrast, no increases were observed in the {dopac/da} ratio or the {hva/da} ratio in either brain region when rats were permitted to consume an unsignaled meal for 7 min. Findings suggest that activation of dopamine terminals in the nucleus accumbens occurs during the anticipation of a meal, at which times the rat is engaged in preparatory feeding behaviors, but does not accompany the performance of short bouts of consummatory feeding behavior.(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)