The amygdala and restraint ulcers in rats.

A series of studies investigated the role of the amygdala, and its connections with hypothalamic areas, in gastric pathology induced by immobilization. Results showed that lesions in the medial amygdala and the ventral amygdalofugal pathway reduced the stomach pathology induced by restraint. Lesions in the stria terminalis, on the other hand, increased the severity of stomach pathology. It is concluded that the lesions in the medial nuclei and the ventral pathway attenuated the effectiveness of the noxious stimulus to produce gastrointestinal abnormalities whereas the lesions in the stria terminalis interfered with inhibitory effects.