[Intracranial self-stimulation of the nucleus accumbens of the rat and its associated behavior (author's transl)].

In recent years, the nucleus accumbens (NAS) has gained prominence because of an interest in the role of catecholamine in the intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS). The NAS receives strong projections from dopamine of the ventral tegmemtal area (VTA) which form the meso-limbic dopamine pathway (A10). The major purpose of the present study was to investigate the ICSS of NAS with special emphasis on its associated behavior. The results obtained were as follows: 1. ICSS was observed in rats with electrodes in the NAS. The rate of its ICSS was 230 +/- 142/15 min. 2. Antidromic spikes (AS) in the VTA were observed with stimulation of NAS including stimulation of sites associated with ICSS. The latency of AS was 25.5 +/- 4.3 msec. (range 10.0-42.0 msec). 3. ICSS of NAS was chiefly associated with "approach-escape" behavior and/or sniffing for which its electrodes were observed to distribute on widespread scatter through NAS. The electrodes of digging and/or licking groups were localized historogically in the vicinity of the commissura anterior.