Predatory attack behavior in the cat elicited by preoptic region stimulation: A comparison with behavior elicited by hypothalamic and midbrain stimulation

Abstract

The predatory attack of a cat against a rat elicited by preoptic region, lateral hypothalmic and ventral midbrain stimulation has been compared. Regardless of the region stimulated the attack behaviors were found to be nearly identical with respect to response topography, preference for the rat as an attack object, the distance at which the cats would approach and attack a rat and the success in finding and attacking the rat when the cats were blind‐folded. However, the minimum current required to elicit the predatory attack by preoptic region stimulation was two to three times greater than that required to elicit the same behavior by lateral hypothalamic and ventral midbrain stimulation. It was considered that the medial forebrain bundle is likely to provide the common neuropil affected by stimulation in each region and that its differing regional density may explain the results.

Centrally elicited aggressive behavior: A model system for the study of episodic neurobehavioral pathologies?

“…The different results of lesions in these regions, then, may tell us nothing about the directionality of stimulation effects. Second, so similar are the attack behaviors elicited by stimulation of different regions (preoptic region, lateral hypothalamus, midbrain ventral tegmental area, midbrain supratrochlear central gray area, pontine tegrnentum) [Bandler, 1977[Bandler, , 1979Berntson, 19731, that it is probable that the stimulation is affecting a common neural substrate. Yet the known anatomical interconnections of these areas do not suggest such a common descending neural substrate.…”

“…In the 15 years since the behavior was first discovered, forms of predatory-like attack behavior have been reported during stimulation of the posterior midline thalamus [Bandler and Flynn, 1974;MacDonnell and Flynn, 19681 ; the preoptic region [Bandler, 1979;Inselman and Flynn, 19721 ; the midbrain ventral tegmental area [Bandler et al, 1972;Proshansky and Bandler, 19751 ; the midbrain reticular formation [Sheard and Flynn, 19671 ; the rostra1 midbrain dorsal periaqueductal gray substance [Bandler and Flynn, 19741 ; the caudal midbrain supratrochlear periaqueductal gray substance [Bandler, 1975, 19771 ;the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum [Berntson, 19731 ; and the fastigial nucleus of the cerebellum [Reis et al, 19731 (see Figs. 1-3 ' .…”

“…In addition, while electrical stimulation of preoptic, hypothalamic, midbrain, and pontine regions elicit predatory-like attack behaviors that are seemingly identical in form and target selectivity, much higher intensities of stimulation are required to elicit the behavior with preoptic or hypothalamic stimulation than with midbrain or pontine stimulation [Bandler, 1977[Bandler, , 1979Proshansky and Bandler, 19751 (see Fig. 4).…”

“…First, several recent studies, [Bandler, 1975[Bandler, , 1977[Bandler, , 1979Bandler and Fatouris, 1978;Proshansky and Bandler, 19751 have drawn attention to the fact that there are almost certainly large regional differences in the configuration of the "common" neuropil likely affected by stimulation in the preoptic region, lateral hypothalamus, and midbrain ventral tegmental area -the medial forebrain bundle -and that the differential effectiveness of lesions in the anterior hypothalamic-preoptic region versus those in the midbrain region may simply be due to the greater compactness of the medial forebrain bundle in the caudal region. Thus even large anterior hypothalamic-preoptic region lesions are ineffective, perhaps because they are less likely to destroy neuropil in common with other lateral hypothalamic attack sites than are small ventral tegmental area lesions.…”