CORRELATION OF ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF PREPYRIFORM CORTEX AND BEHAVIOR IN CAT

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Abstract
Bipolar electrodes were placed in the prepyriform cortex in such a way as to record predominantly the electrical activity of the prepyriform dipole field. Of the 4 parameters of electrical activity (wave form, frequency, spatial distribution, and amplitude) and their possible combinations, only 2 were related to behavior. The frequency of the slow wave associated with respiration mirrored changes in rate and depth of respiration, whether of a reflex (e.g., gagging) or goal-oriented (e.g., sniffing) nature. The amplitude of the fast sinusoidal waves, irrespective of prevailing frequency and spatial distributions, was related to 3 classes of behavior: rest, anticipation, and action. During anticipation the amplitude increased above the resting level with all types of external and inferred internal stimulation. During action the amplitude varied with the type of response, being higher than rest during oral activities (e.g., chewing, lapping, licking, etc.) and still higher during locomotor activities (e.g., walking, climbing, scratching, etc.) During such actions the amplitude at different levels of food deprivation did not increase with increasing deprivation as occurred during anticipation. During individual responses the amplitude was found to be related to the rate of working for food but not to the start-latency or probability of working. In states of ex-haustion, illness, and "fear paralysis" the amplitude was reduced be-low the level during rest. These findings show that during anticipation the amplitude of prepyriform electrical activity is in general related to the input to the nervous system, whereas during action it is related to the output of the nervous system.

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