Kiser R S, Lebovitz R M, German D C
Brain Res. 1978 Oct 27;155(2):331-42. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(78)91026-0.
Chronic stimulating electrodes were implanted into two separate midbrain sites in rats. One site was the dorsal central gray area (DCG), where electrical stimulation produced frantic, escape-seeking behavior which grossly appeared fear-like and/or pain-like. The other site was in the ventral reticular formation (VRF), where stimulation produced a stereotyped circling response. Stimulation at both sites was aversive in that these animals would bar press for escape in a decremental bar-pressing paradigm. In this paradigm, each bar press decremented the current by five per cent of the initial current level. Following the acquisition of stable baseline decremental bar-pressing performance, animals were given injections of either the serotonin-depleting drug, para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA), or the catecholamine-depleting drug, alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMPT). Control animals received normal saline. Compared to saline control animals, PCPA-injected DCG-stimulated animals showed a marked increase in decremental bar pressing, whereas VRF-stimulated animals showed no change. AMPT-injected VRF-stimulated animals showed a marked decrease in decremental bar pressing, but the DCG-stimulated animals were not affected. These results suggest that escape behavior from electrical stimulation of midbrain sites is mediated by more than one neural system.
将慢性刺激电极植入大鼠两个不同的中脑部位。一个部位是背侧中央灰质区（DCG），在此处进行电刺激会引发疯狂的逃避行为，这种行为在总体上呈现出类似恐惧和/或类似疼痛的表现。另一个部位是腹侧网状结构（VRF），在此处进行刺激会产生一种刻板的转圈反应。对这两个部位的刺激都是厌恶性质的，因为在递减式压杆范式中，这些动物会为了逃避而按压杠杆。在这个范式中，每次按压杠杆会使电流比初始电流水平降低5%。在获得稳定的基线递减式压杆表现后，给动物注射血清素耗竭药物对氯苯丙氨酸（PCPA）或儿茶酚胺耗竭药物α-甲基对酪氨酸（AMPT）。对照动物注射生理盐水。与生理盐水对照动物相比，注射PCPA的接受DCG刺激的动物在递减式压杆方面显著增加，而接受VRF刺激的动物则没有变化。注射AMPT的接受VRF刺激的动物在递减式压杆方面显著减少，但接受DCG刺激的动物未受影响。这些结果表明，从中脑部位电刺激引发的逃避行为是由多个神经系统介导的。
