Prefrontal cortex and bulbar reticular formation and behavioral inhibition in the rat.

Electrical stimulation in the bulbar reticular formation will produce response suppression that is observably the same as that produced by stimulation in the prefrontal cortex. This includes suppression of bar-pressing for food and running in an activity wheel, but no suppression of approach and eating of food or general activity. These results, together with previous research, support the hypothesis that this inhibitory influence of the prefrontal cortex is mediated through the bulbar reticular formation. This hypothesis is not incompatible with the concept that the prefrontal cortex serves to suppress the activating influence of the rostral reticular formation.