COMPARISON OF EFFICIENCY BETWEEN SEARCH ACTIVITY AND CONDITIONED FEEDING-BEHAVIOR - FACILITATION OF RECIPROCAL INTERACTION IN RAT (NORM AMYGDALECTOMY)

Food-taking behaviour of two groups of rats (normal ones, N, and those with amygdalar lesions, AL) was compared to each other in two experimental situations: running to the feeding-cup in a new situation and the same after the learning procedure. In the first case the efficiency of food-taking behaviour was found to be higher in AL rats than that in N rats. On the contrary, in the second situation, the efficiency of food-taking was lower in AL rats. This difference was supposed to be connected with two factors: motivation (in a new situation) and mastering the environment (after learning). It was assumed that after AL the rats with a deficit of analytical-synthetical process became primarily oriented towards inborn programs. A sudden increase of food reinforcement resulted in AL rats in a reduce of feeding activity and an increase of general activity resembling much the effect of 5-HT in the limbic system.