title: Tolerance to repeated rewarding electrical stimulation of the insular cortex.
abstract: The insular cortex (IC) has been related to various reinforcing behavioral processes. This study examined the effect of electrical stimulation of the posterior agranular IC on concurrent place preferences. Two groups of animals and their respective controls underwent rewarding brain stimulation every day or on alternate days. While the rats stimulated every other day maintained their preference for the place associated with brain stimulation, those stimulated every day evidenced a reduction in their place preference, suggesting tolerance to the stimulation's rewarding effect. A 15% increase in the current intensity produced a recovery of the preferences of the daily-stimulated rats but had no effect on those stimulated on alternate days. These results are discussed in terms of the rewarding effects induced by different electrical and chemical rewarding agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, and Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain. Electronic address: mariena@ugr.es.
authors.forename: María M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hurtado
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, and Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, and Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain.
authors.forename: Amadeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puerto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D058542:Implantable Neurostimulators; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012201:Reward; D012653:Self Stimulation / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Decay and recovery of reinforcement; Place preference; Posterior agranular insular cortex