Independence of approach and escape reactions to electrical stimulation of the brain.

Abstract

Relative importance of neural site and experimental conditions mining motivational direction (positive or negative) produced by electrical stimulation of the brain was evaluated. Predominant role of neural site was indicated by administering hypothalamic and tegmental stimulation to rats in an experimental situation equally suitable for exhibition of approach or escape behavior and by correlation of behavior and histological analysis. Attempts to modify effects of aversive stimulation by pairing hypothalamic and tegmental stimulation had little effect. Results suggest considerable stability of reinforcing consequences of stimulation of specific neural sites. Under specific stimulus conditions positive (hypothalamic) stimulation dominated effects of an aversive (tegmental) stimulus; the 1st stimulus in a series of alternating positive and negative brain stimuli was predominant.