Lateral Hypothalamic Stimulation in Satiated Rats: T-Maze Learning for Food

Abstract

It is well known that electrical stimulation in portions of the lateral hypothalamic area is positively reinforcing and induces eating in satiated rats. We have found that continuous stimulation of this kind can also motivate satiated and previously untrained rats to learn the location of food in a T-maze. Efficient acquisition and reversal of discriminations for food indicate that lateral hypothalamic stimulation exerts motivational effects which are functionally equivalent to those of food deprivation.