Neuron activity in the anterolateral motor cortex in operant food-acquiring and alcohol-acquiring behavior.

The interactions of the neuronal mechanisms of food-acquiring behavior and newly formed operant alcohol-acquiring behavior were studied by recording the activity of individual neurons in the anterolateral area of the motor cortex in chronically alcoholized rabbits. Adult animals learned food-acquiring behavior in a cage with two feeders and two pedals, in the comers (the food in the feeders was presented after pressing the corresponding pedal). After nine months of chronic alcoholization, the same rabbits learned an alcohol-acquiring behavior in the same experimental cage (gelatin capsules filled with 15% ethanol solution were placed in the feeders instead of food). Analysis of neuron activity showed that the set of neurons involved in supporting food-acquiring and alcohol-acquiring behaviors overlapped, though not completely. These experiments not only help us understand the neuronal mechanisms of the newly formed and the previously formed behaviors, but also facilitate the development of concepts of the similarity of the neuronal mechanisms of long-term memory and long-term modifications of the nervous system, occurring in conditions of repeated intake of addictive substances.

[Activity of anterolateral motor cortex neurons in instumental food-acquisition and alcohol-acquisition behavior]. / Aktivnost' neironov anterolateral'noi motornoi kory v instrumental'nom pishchedobyvatel'nom i alkogoledobyvatel'nom povedenii.

Singleunit activity of anterolateral area of motor cortex in rabbits subjected to chronic ethanol treatment was recorded to study interconnections of neuronal mechanisms of newly formed instrumental alcohol-acquisition behavior (IAB) and previously formed food-acquisition behavior (IFB). Adult animals were trained to perform IFB in experimental cage equipped with two food boxes and two pedals situated in the corners of the cage. Food was presented automatically in a food box after the pressing of an appropriate pedal. Same rabbits after 9 mo. of chronic alcohol treatment were trained to perform IAB in the same experimental cage (gelatin capsules filled with 15% ethanol solution were placed into the food box instead of food). Activity of 121 units of anterolateral area of motor cortex was studied. Each unit discharges were analysed in IAB as well as in IFB. The data obtained testifies that neuronal sets subserving IAB and IFB overlap but not completely. 44 "common" neurons permanently activated in both behaviors and 3 neurons specifically activated in each of behaviors (one in IAB and two in IFB) were found. We consider the formation of IAB as systemogenesis that is related to the consolidation processes: the formation of new neuronal specializations and to the accommodative re-consolidation: modification of early specialized cells ("common"). It is shown in the Discussion that present experiments help us not only understand interconnections of neuronal mechanisms of newly formed IAB and early formed IFB but also provide an additional insight into the nature of similarity between neuronal mechanisms of long-term memory and long-lived modifications resulting from repeated drug exposure.

A subset of cingulate cortical neurones is specifically activated during alcohol-acquisition behaviour.

UNLABELLED: A new need is associated with the formation of behaviour directed at its satisfaction. In chronically ethanol-treated rabbits a bodily need develops to acquire and consume alcohol. The present study examined the firing properties of single neurones in the cingulate (limbic) cortex of chronically ethanol-treated rabbits. The main questions of this study were: are there neurones in the cingulate cortex which specifically increase their firing during alcohol-acquisition behaviour (AAB)? What is the relationship between the neuronal mechanisms of pre-existing and newly formed behaviour? Adult rabbits were taught to acquire food by pressing pedals. After 9 months of ethanol treatment, the same rabbits were taught to acquire ethanol (15% solution in a 0.5-mL capsule) by means of the same instrumental METHOD: Activity of the 118 neurones was recorded from the cingulate cortex. The comparison of activity of each neurone in AAB and food-acquisition behaviour (FAB) enabled us to reveal that their subservings overleap substantially but not completely: 41% of 'common neurones' involved in the subserving of both FAB and AAB as well as 5% of 'alcohol-neurones' (alcohol-acquisition specific cells) were found. We think of the latter neurones as units that were specialized during the forming of alcohol-seeking behaviour. Thus, present experiments help us not only to answer the above questions but also to provide an additional insight into the nature of similarity between neuronal mechanisms of long-term memory and long-lived modifications resulting from repeated drug exposure.

Formation and realization of individual experience.

This article describes the methodological approach of systemic psychophysiology. In the framework of this approach a wide range of experimental data is analyzed: results of neuronal recordings in vitro and in awake normal and pathological animals learning to perform and performing both complex instrumental and simple behavioral acts. Another block of analyzed data is based on experiments with human subjects who learn and perform the tasks of categorization of words and operator tasks, participate in group game activity, and answer the questionnaires of psychodiagnostic methods. As a result of this analysis, the systemic psychophysiology approach is used to describe qualitatively and quantitatively the formation and realization of individual experience.

[Patterns in the shaping and realization of individual experience]. / Zakonomernosti formirovaniia i realizatsii individual'nogo opyta.

This article describes the methodological approach of systemic psychology. In the framework of this approach a wide range of experimental data is analyzed: results of neuronal recordings in vitro and in awake normal and pathological animals learning to perform and performing both complex instrumental and simple behavioral acts. Another block of analyzed data is based on the experiments with human subjects that learn and perform the tasks of categorization of words and operator tasks, subjects, performing group game activity and answering the questionnaires of psychodiagnostic methods. As a result of this analysis, the system psychology approach is used to describe qualitatively and quantitatively the formation and realization of individual experience.

Distinctions in the neuronal activity of the rabbit limbic cortex under different training strategies.

Limbic cortex neurons as well as the temporal characteristics of the behavioral cycles were recorded in rabbits trained to perform a food-procuring behavior according to different strategies which were distinguished by the sequence of the stages of training. It was demonstrated that additional activations can appear in the nonspecific activity of neurons specialized relative to one of those behavioral acts for which the animal was trained directly in the experimental cage. Such activations appeared, depending upon the training strategy, during different types of the animal's behavior; the temporal characteristics of the behavioral cycles also varied. An inference is drawn regarding the activating influence of preceding experience on the behavioral acts formed directly after it.

[Distinctions in the neuronal activity of the rabbit limbic cortex under different training strategies]. / Razlichiia v aktivnosti neironov limbicheskoi kory krolikov pri raznykh strategiiakh obuchenii.

Rabbits were trained to perform a food-procuring behavioural reaction which consisted in pressing one of the two pedals to get food from one of the two feeders, located in the corners of the cage. Activity of limbic cortex neurons and duration of behavioural cycles varied according to different strategies of learning the same final behavioural act. Neurons which were specifically activated while performing one of the trained behavioural acts could be additionally activated. For neurons of similar specificity these activation appeared at different behavioural acts in accordance with the applied strategy, but always at the stage which in the training sequence preceded specific activation. It is concluded that preceding experience activates the following behaviour. Such kind of activation might play an important role in behavioural act sequence, especially in searching behaviour.

Stability of the behavioral specialization of neurons.

The constancy of the association of the activity of the neurons of the limbic cortex and food-procuring behavior has been analyzed in neurons specially selected on the basis of the criterion of length of recording in experiments in rabbits. Comparison of the activity in the first and second halves of the period was carried on the basis of the average frequency for the time of each half of the recording, the average frequency in each of 10 distinctive acts of cyclical behavior, as well as on the basis of the probability of the presence of activation in these acts. It was demonstrated that behavioral specialization, defined as the presence of 100% activation of the cell in specific acts, did not change in the course of the recording, and was a stable information-containing characteristic of the association of the activity of the neuron with the animal's behavior.

[The stability of the behavioral specialization of the neurons]. / Stabil'nost' povedencheskoi spetsializatsii neironov.

Constancy of connection between the activity of limbic cortex neurones and food-procuring behaviour was studied on rabbits during prolonged unit records. Comparison of activity in the first and the second halves of records was conducted according to the mean frequency during each stage of recording, the mean frequency in each of 10 selected acts of cyclic behaviour and also the probability of activation presence in these acts. It was shown, that behavioural specialization, determined by the criterion of presence of 100% cell activation in specific acts, did not change during recording. The volume of changes in the connection of neurone activity to behaviour in the process of record greatly depended on conditions of recording; at constant mean frequency of neurone activity during the whole time of recording the volume of these changes was minimal.

[Behavioral specialization of cortical and hypothalamic neurons in the rabbit]. / O povedencheskoi spetsializatsii neiornov kory i gipotalamusa u krolikov.

Behavioural specialization was analyzed of hypothalamic and limbic neurones, with their activity recorded in rabbits during food-acquisition behaviour. The neurones with activity changed during staying of the animal in a definite place of the cage or during behavioural acts, characteristic of a specific behaviour in the cage, are considered as specialized in relation to the most "new" systems, acquired by the rabbit directly during learning of the given behaviour. Neurones with the activity changed with rabbit's turns, i.e. connected with behavioural acts, which the rabbit has not specially learnt, are considered specialized in relation to more "old" inborn systems. Neurones, in which no constant connection with any part of the studied behaviour was observed, are related to the most "ancient" systems. Comparison of the number of hypothalamic and limbic neurones of different groups showed that in the cortex there were some more neurones specialized in relation to behavioural acts, which were formed directly during learning of the rabbit in the experimental cage.

[Neurons of the rabbit midbrain reticular formation during a defensive conditioned reflex]. / Issledovanie neironov retikuliarnoi formatsii srednego mozga krolika pri oboronitel'nom uslovnom reflekse

Analysis of unit activity of the midbrain reticular formation was carried out on alert rabbits during defensive conditioning. Most of the examined neurones exhibited phasic responses corresponding in time to the components of the evoked potential (EP) recorded in the cortical visual area in response to the "indifferent" stimulus, and to the conditioned stimulus and electric cutaneous reinforcement. The data obtained are considered from the standpoint of the Anokhin functional systems theory. A conclusion has been made regarding the participation of reticular units in providing all the basic mechanisms of the functional system of the behavioral act. Discharges of one and the same neurone may correspond to different components of the EPs to conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. In different behavioral acts a neurone may apparently participate in different systemic mechanisms.