Rats self-administer nonrewarding brain stimulation to ameliorate aversion.
Hypothalamic stimulation in rats both reduces escape from noxious hindbrain stimulation and sustains self-administration only when hindbrain stimulation is inescapable. Self-administration reflects an aversion-ameliorative action of brain stimulation and not a positive reinforcement process. The psychophysical testing used is offered as a model for establishing the analgesic properties of brain stimulation.
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology*; D009042:Motivation; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D012646:Self Administration