Effects of Median Cortex Lesions on the Maternal Behavior of the Rat

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Abstract
This study explores the relation of cortical lesions to the rat's maternal behavior. Rather precise electrolytic lesions were made in the anterior and posterior cingulate areas of the median cortex. A quantitative measure of maternal behavior was obtained by a continuous recording of the rat's movements about the observation box and her picking up and depositing of pups in response to scattering the litter and directing air and heat blasts onto the litter. Data indicate (1) the lesions were differential in their effect. Only the anterior cingulate lesions produced significant disruptions in the maternal behaviors. (2) The lesions disrupted only certain sequential aspects of the maternal activities. The groups did not differ in their over-all retrieving behavior or in the number of pups they removed from the air blast. However, the anterior cingulate lesioned animals were observed to carry their pups several times around the observation box before depositing them; thus they carried their pups over significantly more floor areas than did the other groups. Further, these animals exhibited other unique behaviors such as repeatedly picking up and dropping the same pup or retrieving their own tails time after time.