Neuronal responses in monkey lateral hypothalamus during operant feeding behavior.
Single neuron activity was recorded from monkey lateral hypothalamus to investigate neuronal events correlated with operant bar press feeding behavior. The behavioral paradigm was divided into three phase: visual (discrimination), bar press (procurement), and ingestion (consummatory). Of 669 neurons tested, 158 (24%) responded in one or more phases. During the visual phase, 106 neurons (16%) responded. Of 80 neurons that responded in the visual phase and were tested systematically, 33 (41%, 33/80) responded selectively to the sight of food or nonfood objects associated with a juice reward, but not to the sight of nonfood or objects associated with aversive saline. Neuronal activity related to discrimination was modulated by satiation and learning (i.e., acquisition and extinction). During the bar press phase, 51 neurons (7.6%) responded. These responded tonically during the early or late stage of the bar press period, but did not depend on individual bar pressing motions. During ingestion, 90 neurons (13%) responded. The ingestion response was modulated by palatability of food and satiation. Data suggest that the LHA is deeply involved in operant feeding behavior; discrimination of food, drive to get food, and perception of reward, all of which are affected by learning and internal states such as hunger and satiety.
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology; D007026:Hypothalamic Area, Lateral / Q000502:physiology*; D008251:Macaca; D012201:Reward; D012528:Satiety Response / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology