Role of ipsilateral forebrain in lateral hypothalamic stimulation reward in rats.

The forebrain was ablated unilaterally to a level dorsal to the thalamus and anterior commissure. Ipsilateral lateral hypothalamic electrodes were then implanted and the animal was tested for self-stimulation behavior. Tests included an initial test for behavioral reactivity to changes in reward level and then two estimates of the quantitative relationships between stimulation parameters: the number-current and charge-duration relationships. Comparison between these findings and those known for intact rats suggest that the substrate for unilateral hypothalamic stimulation reward is not impaired by removal of the ipsilateral tissue.