Asymmetry in the effects of unilateral 6-OHDA lesions on eating and drinking evoked by hypothalamic stimulation

The present experiment investigated the effects of unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens on eating and drinking evoked by electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus (ESLH). Lesions were made on either the `dominant' or `non-dominant' hemisphere as defined by an amphetamine-rotation test. We report here that lesions of the `dominant hemisphere' were significantly more effective in disrupting ESLH-evoked behavior as well as producing longer-lasting deficits in somatosensory responsiveness as measured by the `tactile extinction test'.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25680/1/0000233.pd