Biomaterial Database

Are emotion and motivation localized in the limbic system and nucleus accumbens? 1988

C H Vanderwolf, and M E Kelly, and P Kraemer, and A Streather

Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

Groups of control rats without surgery or groups of rats prepared with surgical lesions of the septal nuclei, amygdala, cingulate cortex, accumbens nucleus, section of the fornix, or sham surgical operations, were tested in a simple autonomic conditioning situation (conditioned defecation). Control rats and rats with lesions of the accumbens nucleus were also tested in a straight alley maze under varying conditions of water deprivation. In general, the lesions had little effect except that amygdaloid damage impaired acquisition of conditioned defecation. The theory that 'emotion' and 'motivation' can be localized in the 'limbic system' and nucleus accumbens is discussed critically.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008032	Limbic System	A set of forebrain structures common to all mammals that is defined functionally and anatomically. It is implicated in the higher integration of visceral, olfactory, and somatic information as well as homeostatic responses including fundamental survival behaviors (feeding, mating, emotion). For most authors, it includes the AMYGDALA; EPITHALAMUS; GYRUS CINGULI; hippocampal formation (see HIPPOCAMPUS); HYPOTHALAMUS; PARAHIPPOCAMPAL GYRUS; SEPTAL NUCLEI; anterior nuclear group of thalamus, and portions of the basal ganglia. (Parent, Carpenter's Human Neuroanatomy, 9th ed, p744; NeuroNames, http://rprcsgi.rprc.washington.edu/neuronames/index.html (September 2, 1998)).	Limbic Systems,System, Limbic,Systems, Limbic
D008297	Male		Males
D009042	Motivation	Those factors which cause an organism to behave or act in either a goal-seeking or satisfying manner. They may be influenced by physiological drives or by external stimuli.	Incentives,Disincentives,Expectations,Disincentive,Expectation,Incentive,Motivations
D009714	Nucleus Accumbens	Collection of pleomorphic cells in the caudal part of the anterior horn of the LATERAL VENTRICLE, in the region of the OLFACTORY TUBERCLE, lying between the head of the CAUDATE NUCLEUS and the ANTERIOR PERFORATED SUBSTANCE. It is part of the so-called VENTRAL STRIATUM, a composite structure considered part of the BASAL GANGLIA.	Accumbens Nucleus,Nucleus Accumbens Septi,Accumbens Septi, Nucleus,Accumbens Septus, Nucleus,Accumbens, Nucleus,Nucleus Accumbens Septus,Nucleus, Accumbens,Septi, Nucleus Accumbens,Septus, Nucleus Accumbens
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D003213	Conditioning, Psychological	Simple form of learning involving the formation, strengthening, or weakening of an association between a stimulus and a response.	Conditioning, Psychology,Psychological Conditioning,Social Learning Theory,Social Learning Theories,Theory, Social Learning
D003672	Defecation	The normal process of elimination of fecal material from the RECTUM.	Bowel Function,Bowel Movement,Bowel Functions,Bowel Movements,Defecations
D004644	Emotions	Those affective states which can be experienced and have arousing and motivational properties.	Feelings,Regret,Emotion,Feeling,Regrets
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012686	Septal Nuclei	Neural nuclei situated in the septal region. They have afferent and cholinergic efferent connections with a variety of FOREBRAIN and BRAIN STEM areas including the HIPPOCAMPAL FORMATION, the LATERAL HYPOTHALAMUS, the tegmentum, and the AMYGDALA. Included are the dorsal, lateral, medial, and triangular septal nuclei, septofimbrial nucleus, nucleus of diagonal band, nucleus of anterior commissure, and the nucleus of stria terminalis.	Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis,Nucleus of Anterior Commissure,Nucleus of Diagonal Band,Nucleus of Stria Terminalis,Septofimbrial Nucleus,Dorsal Septal Nucleus,Lateral Septal Nucleus,Lateral Septum Nucleus,Medial Septal Nucleus,Medial Septum Nucleus,Nucleus Interstitialis Striae Terminalis,Nucleus Lateralis Septi,Nucleus Septalis Lateralis,Nucleus Septi Lateralis,Nucleus Striae Terminalis,Nucleus Triangularis Septi,Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis,Septal Nuclear Complex,Triangular Septal Nucleus,Anterior Commissure Nucleus,Complex, Septal Nuclear,Complices, Septal Nuclear,Diagonal Band Nucleus,Laterali, Nucleus Septalis,Laterali, Nucleus Septi,Lateralis Septi, Nucleus,Lateralis Septus, Nucleus,Lateralis, Nucleus Septalis,Lateralis, Nucleus Septi,Nuclear Complex, Septal,Nuclear Complices, Septal,Nuclei, Septal,Nucleus Lateralis Septus,Nucleus Septalis Laterali,Nucleus Septi Laterali,Nucleus Striae Terminali,Nucleus Triangularis Septus,Nucleus, Dorsal Septal,Nucleus, Lateral Septal,Nucleus, Lateral Septum,Nucleus, Medial Septal,Nucleus, Medial Septum,Nucleus, Septofimbrial,Nucleus, Triangular Septal,Septal Nuclear Complices,Septal Nucleus, Dorsal,Septal Nucleus, Lateral,Septal Nucleus, Medial,Septal Nucleus, Triangular,Septalis Laterali, Nucleus,Septalis Lateralis, Nucleus,Septi Laterali, Nucleus,Septi Lateralis, Nucleus,Septi, Nucleus Lateralis,Septi, Nucleus Triangularis,Septum Nucleus, Lateral,Septum Nucleus, Medial,Septus, Nucleus Lateralis,Septus, Nucleus Triangularis,Stria Terminalis Nucleus,Striae Terminali, Nucleus,Striae Terminalis, Nucleus,Terminali, Nucleus Striae,Terminalis, Nucleus Striae,Triangularis Septi, Nucleus,Triangularis Septus, Nucleus