Data on the role of the frontal cortex in vegetative behavior.

A homeostatic conditional reflex (CR) was elaborated to the effect of repeated inhalations in rats of a gas mixture containing 8 percent oxygen. The effect of the conditional response was opposite to that of the unconditional one. After ablation of the frontal cortex, the conditional reaction disappeared. The repeated administration of 40 mg/kg of histamine resulted in a tolerance to the temperature lowering effect of histamine similar to the habituation. An injection of distilled water brought about dishabituation. Tolerance was not influenced by the ablation of the frontal cortex, but the dishabituating effect of distilled water was absent.