An analysis of the mechanisms underlying septal area control of hypothalamically elicited aggression in the cat

Abstract

This experiment was performed in order to examine several of the underlying mechanisms by which the septal area and adjacent regions regulate quiet biting attack behavior elicited from electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus in the cat. The results clearly indicate that stimulation of the septal area and anterior cingulate gyrus increased the latency for the occurrence of quiet biting attack behavior. Those sites within the septal area from which inhibition of attack can be produced are linked to sensory mechanisms associated with trigeminal reflexes activated during hypothalamic stimulation. Stimulation of these septal area sites decreased the lateral extent of the 'effective sensory fields' of the lipline established during hypothalamic stimulation, but did not appear to have any affect upon the latency of the hypothalamically elicited jaw-opening response. Deoxyglucose autoradiography revealed that the inhibition resulting from stimulation of the lateral septal area may be due to either the monosynaptic activation of the lateral hypothalamus or the disynaptic activation of this area utilizing a circuit involving the nuclei of the diagonal band of Broca.

Efferent connections of septal nuclei of the domestic chick (Gallus domesticus): An anterograde pathway tracing study with a bearing on functional circuits

“…Within that frame, the direct septal connection with the thalamic nucleus DMA, reported in the chick, may be particularly important (Montagnese et al, 2003), since part of this nucleus could be the equivalent of the mammalian thalamic mediodorsal nucleus. In mammals, this nucleus receives septal afferents (Hreib et al, 1988) and is connected with the prefrontal cortex and LHy, two major sites related to the control of aggression (Brutus et al, 1984).…”

EVidence for dorsolateral and orbital prefrontal cortical involvement in the expression of aggressive behavior

“…On the one hand, it can be argued that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be involved in the communication of affect, and that lesions to this area may result in aggression by disrupting the animal's ability to communicate cues about its affective state (e.g., threat behavior) [Kling, 1976;Miller and Levine, 19771. However, on the other hand, it can also be argued that the dorsolateral region is but one portion of an interconnected system of neural circuits that exert inhibitory influences on aggressive impulses which are known to have their origin in various subcortical structures [Brutus et al, 1984;Siegel and Edinger, 1983;Watson et al, 19831. Investigations which have compared the effects of dorsolateral and orbital lesions on aggression appear to shed further light on this issue. Butter et al [1968] tested two groups of macaques, one with bilateral ablations of the dorsolateral prefrontal region and the other with bilateral ablations of the orbital region.…”

Pseudoscleroderma associated with transforming growth factor β1–producing advanced gastric carcinoma: Comment on the article by Varga

“…Within that frame, the direct septal connection with the thalamic nucleus DMA, reported in the chick, may be particularly important (Montagnese et al, 2003), since part of this nucleus could be the equivalent of the mammalian thalamic mediodorsal nucleus. In mammals, this nucleus receives septal afferents (Hreib et al, 1988) and is connected with the prefrontal cortex and LHy, two major sites related to the control of aggression (Brutus et al, 1984).…”