The role of corticocortical projections in self-stimulation of the prelimbic and sulcal prefrontal cortex in rats.
Four experiments were performed to assess the nature of the contribution of the corticocortical projections between the prelimbic and sulcal divisions of the rat prefrontal cortex to self-stimulation (SS) of these sites. The first experiment showed that transection of these projections by parasagittal knife cuts or bilateral electrolytic lesions of the prelimbic cortex had no effect on SS of the sulcal cortex. The second experiment demonstrated that SS of the prelimbic cortex could be obtained after transection of the corticocortical projection path. The third experiment demonstrated that the deficit in prelimbic SS, seen to follow such bilateral transections, is a function of the amount of exposure to the stimulation given to the animals after the lesion. The fourth experiment showed that the stimulation-dependent process underlying the acquisition of prelimbic and sulcal SS could be dissociated by the knife cuts. The discussion focused on the implications of these findings for an account of prefrontal self-stimulation behavior.
D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012653:Self Stimulation / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission