title: Lesions of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus do not change thresholds for hypothalamic defensive attack in cats.
abstract: Electrolytic lesions of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (nMD) were made in 10 cats to evaluate their effects on thresholds for hypothalamic defensive attack and emotional reactivity to noxious stimuli. Only 2 cats showed minimal threshold changes after the lesions, one of which was accompanied by an increased emotional reactivity to noxious stimuli; however, this was attributed to damage to the fornical column. The nMD appeared not to be involved directly in the central mechanism of defensive attack.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004056:Differential Threshold; D006801:Humans; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*