Pain-reducing properties of rewarding electrical brain stimulation in the rat.

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Abstract
In 4 experiments with 13 male Charles River rats, electrodes implanted along the medial forebrain bundle were screened for self-stimulation and stimulation-induced analgesia. Analgesia was defined by changes in unconditioned or escape responses to footshock. Almost all electrodes produced both self-stimulation and analgesia or neither. Thresholds for the 2 effects were highly correlated. Brain stimulation produced an analgesic aftereffect comparable in duration with the poststimulation enhancement of performance in self-stimulation (the priming effect). The refractory period of neurons underlying analgesia, assessed by behavioral means, was similar to that previously found for the priming effect in self-stimulation (.8-1.2 msec). Results suggest a common neural system mediating electrical analgesia and the priming effect of self-stimulation. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

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