Electrical stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex supports both 'pure reward' and 'reward-escape' behavior in rats.
In female Sprague-Dawley rats, 8 of 12 medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) sites that yielded criterion self-stimulation behavior supported only self-stimulation, i.e. were 'pure reward' in type. The remaining 4 sites supported behavior to escape from experimenter-administered stimulation of the same parameters as well, i.e. were 'reward-escape' in type. 'Pure reward' and 'reward-escape' sites in the MPFC were distinguished by both the magnitude and temporal form of the escape response functions generated, and by the prevalence of 'pounce-back', a vigorous and repetitive barpressing during the 3-s MPFC stimulation-escape interval produced by an effective barpress. The finding that both 'pure reward' and 'reward-escape' patterns of behavior can be elicited by stimulation of the MPFC provides a basis for further assessment of similarities and differences in medial prefrontal cortical and lateral hypothalamic (LH) 'reward' systems. It is suggested that 'reward-escape' in the MPFC may be mediated by the activity of 'reward' neurons which respond to stimulus offset, rather than by a secondary aversive process as is proposed to underlie 'reward-escape' in the LH.
Miserendino
M J
MJ
Department of Psychology, New York University, NY 10003.
Coons
E E
EE
D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012201:Reward