Refractory periods of neurons directly excited in stimulus-bound eating and drinking in the rat.

Abstract

Studied male hooded rats to determine whether the amygdaloid, or the brainstem, or neither population of neurons is involved in eating and drinking. Latency to the onset of eating or drinking became short when the intrapair interval of twice-threshold stimulating pulse pairs was increased beyond .50-.65 msec. This indicates that the absolute refractory periods of neurons directly excited in eating and in drinking elicited by lateral hypothalamic stimulation are between .50-.70 msec. The previous finding that the absolute refractory period characteristic of basolateral amygdaloid neurons directly excited by the same lateral hypothalamic stimulation is also in this range is considered evidence that the amygdaloid neurons are involved in the eating and drinking. Results also indicate either that the eating and drinking are elicited through different neurons with similar characteristics, or through the same neurons. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)