Influence of acetylcholine on neuronal activity in monkey orbitofrontal cortex during bar press feeding task.

Cholinergic involvement in feeding-related neuronal activity was investigated in the orbitofrontal cortex (OBF) of the behaving monkey by means of a microiontophoretic application of acetylcholine (ACh) and atropine. The activity of ACh sensitive cells did not correlate with any particular event during the bar press feeding task. Atropine blocked the excitatory response to ACh and task events. The results suggest that the cholinergic system in the monkey OBF regulates excitatory neuronal responses in several phases of motivated behavior.