Abstract
A number of experiments have demonstrated that such neurophysiological properties as latent addition, neural refractoriness and temporal summation can be behaviorally measured in double pulse studies of the self-stimulation system of the rat. Since these phenomena have been investigated exclusively in the posterior lateral hypothalamic medial forebrain bundle (PH-MFB) or in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain, the present experiment investigated these properties in an anterior area of the MFB. Eight rats were tested with PH-MFB electrodes and nine rats were tested with anterior preoptic electrodes (POA-MFB). The double pulse derived self-stimulation curves revealed: (a) a higher overall rate of responding for PH-MFB self-stimulation than for POA-MFB self-stimulation even though a higher current level was needed for POA-MFB self-stimulation; (b) refractory period differences between POA-MFB and PH-MFB electrodes; (c) evidence for latent addition; and (d) evidence for temporal summation. These results are discussed in terms of self-stimulation mapping studies of the rat diencephalon, the anatomy of the MFB, and previous double pulse self-stimulation studies.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 823-829 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Physiology and Behavior |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1972 |
Keywords
- Latent addition
- Medial forebrain bundle
- Neural mechanisms of self-stimulation
- Refractory period
- Self-stimulation
- Temporal summation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience