title: Afferent connections to the rostrolateral part of the periaqueductal gray: a critical region influencing the motivation drive to hunt and forage.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that a particular site in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), the rostrolateral PAG, influences the motivation drive to forage or hunt. To have a deeper understanding on the putative paths involved in the decision-making process between foraging, hunting, and other behavioral responses, in the present investigation, we carried out a systematic analysis of the neural inputs to the rostrolateral PAG (rlPAG), using Fluorogold as a retrograde tracer. According to the present findings, the rlPAG appears to be importantly driven by medial prefrontal cortical areas involved in controlling attention-related and decision-making processes. Moreover, the rlPAG also receives a wealth of information from different amygdalar, hypothalamic, and brainstem sites related to feeding, drinking, or hunting behavioral responses. Therefore, this unique combination of afferent connections puts the rlPAG in a privileged position to influence the motivation drive to choose whether hunting and foraging would be the most appropriate adaptive responses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurosciences, City University of Sao Paulo, UNICID, Sao Paulo, Brazil. sandra.ortiz@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Sandra Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Mota-Ortiz
authors.forename: Marcia Harumi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sukikara
authors.forename: Luciano Freitas
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Felicio
authors.forename: Newton Sabino
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Canteras