[Impairment of the formation of conditioned avoidance reactions following destruction of the ventral amygdalofugal pathway].

Formation of conditioned "passive" avoidance reaction was studied in rats with one-time pain reinforcement after electrolitic destruction of mesencephalitic part of the central gray substance (CGS). The destruction of CGS ventral nuclei at the level of the midbrain rostral part led to a decrease in emotional reaction of "fear" and to disturbance of avoidance formation. The participation of midbrain limbic structures in learning and memory is discussed.