Escape Elicited By Bulboreticular Stimulation In The Cat

Abstract

Electrical stimulation of the bulboreticular formation in the region of nucleus gigantocellularis (NGC) elicits escape and natural pain behavior in cats trained to escape electrical stimulation of the superficial radial nerve. The effect of bulboreticular stimulation is generalized so that escape is elicited on the initial stimulus trials at an effective NGC locus. The stimulus sites with lowest threshold (25μA. 0.2 msec, pulses, 100/sec.) are found in locations from which escape-related unit activity was recorded with the stimulating microelectrode. The effective bulboreticular stimuli can function as the unconditioned stimulus in auditory avoidance conditioning and can be used to shape operant behavior.