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Prefrontal cell firing in male rats during approach towards sexually receptive female: Interactions with cocaine
Author(s) -
Febo Marcelo
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
synapse
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.809
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1098-2396
pISSN - 0887-4476
DOI - 10.1002/syn.20843
Subject(s) - prefrontal cortex , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , neuroscience , psychology , excitatory postsynaptic potential , cognition , artificial intelligence , computer science , inhibitory postsynaptic potential
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a role in anticipation of rewards and goal orientation, properties that are influenced by cocaine administration. Single‐unit firing was measured in the mPFC of seven male rats during the expression of approach responses toward a sexually receptive female. Nose‐poking in male rats was used as a measure of approach behavior during the following periods: a baseline, first exposure to a female, a second baseline 2 h later and a second exposure to female 10 min after cocaine (15 mg kg −1 i.p.). Two types of excitatory responses were identified. First, a subset of cells (23%) showed increased firing activity during nose‐poke behavior upon presentation of the female, but not before. Another subset of cells (12%) showed increased firing in the presence of the female only after cocaine was administered. The present results provide preliminary evidence for neurons in the mPFC that are involved in sexually motivated approach behavior and that are modulated by cocaine. Synapse, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.