Comparisons of connectivity and conduction velocities for medial forebrain bundle fibers subserving stimulation-induced feeding and brain stimulation reward.
A behavioral adaptation of the paired-pulse collision technique was used to determine whether the same medial forebrain bundle (MFB) fibers of passage mediate brain stimulation reward (BSR) and stimulation-induced feeding (SIF) induced by lateral hypothalamic and ventral tegmental electrical stimulation. Step-functions relating second-pulse effectiveness to interpulse interval suggested connectivity between the directly activated SIF fibers at these two stimulation sites were seen in 4 animals; these data indicate that SIF, like BSR, is mediated, at least in part, by long-axon MFB fibers. In the two animals that could be tested in both paradigms, similar effects were seen in BSR tests; this suggests that either the same fibers or fibers with remarkably similar conduction velocities and medial-lateral and dorsal-ventral alignment contribute to the two behaviors.
Gratton
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Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Que., Canada.
Wise
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RA
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012201:Reward