Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-vpsfw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-19T17:08:46.708Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Catecholamine-containing neurones and electrical self-stimulation: 2. A theoretical interpretation and some psychiatric implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

T. J. Crow
Affiliation:
From the Department of Mental Health, University of Aberdeen

Synopsis

A theory is proposed which relates the learning theory concepts of reinforcement and incentive motivation to visceral afferent pathways in the central nervous System. Herrick's hypothesis of the functional significance of the difference between olfactory and gustatory connexions is used to demonstrate a parallel between olfactory and ‘drive inducing’ stimuli in their role in energizing and directing behaviour; and a somewhat similar parallel between the roles of gustatory and ‘reinforcing’ stimuli. This theory is used to explain recent evidence that there is a relationship between catecholamine-containing neurones and electrical self-stimulation behaviour. It is proposed that self-stimulation can be understood as resulting in most instances from activation of one or both of two ascending Systems: (1) a ‘reinforcement System’ (which may be phylogenetically related to gustation), arising from cell-bodies in the locus coeruleus and releasing noradrenaline as a neurohumour from terminals distributed to the neocortex; and (2) an ‘incentive motivational’ System (which may be a phylogenetic derivative of olfactory pathways), arising from cell bodies in the ventral mesencephalon and releasing dopamine from terminals distributed to the corpus striatum and related nuclei. Some implications of this theory for the action of certain psychotropic drugs and the ‘catecholamine hypothesis’ of affective disorders are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Andén, N.-E., Dahlström, A., Fuxe, K., Larsson, K., Olson, L., and Ungerstedt, U. (1966). Ascending monoamine neurons to the telencephalon and diencephalon. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 67, 313326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anlezark, G. M., Arbuthnott, G. W., Christie, J. E., and Crow, T. J. (1971). Role of cerebral dopamine in the action of psychotropic drugs. British Journal of Pharmacology, 41, 406407P.Google ScholarPubMed
Batsel, H. L. (1960). Electroencephalographic synchronization and desynchronization in the chronic ‘cerveau isolé’ of the dog. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 12, 421430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bindra, D. (1968). Neuropsychological interpretation of the effects of drive and incentive-motivation on general activity and instrumental behavior. Psychological Review, 75, 122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Belles, R. C. (1967). Theory of Motivation. Harper: New York.Google Scholar
Burn, J. H. (1960). The action of nicotine on the peripheral circulation. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 90, 8184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, H. J. (1968). Peripheral self-stimulation as a reward. Nature, 218, 104105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collier, H. O. J. (1968). Supersensitivity and dependence. Nature, 220, 228231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crow, T. J. (1972a). A map of the rat mesencephalon for electrical self-stimulation. Brain Research, 36, 265273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crow, T. J. (1972b). Catecholamine-containing neurones and electrical self-stimulation: I. A review of some data. Psychological Medicine.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crow, T. J., Spear, P. J., and Arbuthnott, G. W. (1972). Intracranial self-stimulation with electrodes in the region of the locus coeruleus. Brain Research, 36, 275287.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deutsch, J. A. (1960). The Structural Basis of Behavior. University of Chicago Press: Chicago.Google Scholar
Deutsch, J. A., and Howarth, C. I. (1963). Some tests of a theory of intracranial self-stimulation. Psychological Review, 70, 444460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feldman, S. M., and Waller, H. J. (1962). Dissociation of electrocortical activation and behavioural arousal. Nature, 196, 13201322.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gray, J. A. (1970). The psychophysiological basis of introversion-extraversion. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 8, 249266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hemsi, L. K., Whitehead, A., and Post, F. (1968). Cognitive functioning and cerebral arousal in elderly depressives and dements. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 12, 145156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herrick, C. J. (1908). On the phylogenetic differentiation of the organs of smell and taste. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 18, 157166.Google Scholar
Herrick, C. J. (1914). The medulla oblongata of the larval Amblystoma. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 24, 343427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herrick, C. J. (1948). The Brain of the Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma Tigrinum. University of Chicago Press: Chicago.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hornykewicz, O. (1966). Dopamine (3-hydroxytyramine) and brain function. Pharmacologicat Reviews. 18, 925964.Google Scholar
Hull, C. L. (1943). Principles of Behavior. Appleton: New York.Google Scholar
Kendrick, D. C., Parboosingh, R.-C., and Post, F. (1965). A synonym learning test for use with elderly psychiatric subjects: a validation study. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 4, 6371.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kornetsky, C., and Eliasson, M. (1969). Reticular stimulation and chlorpromazine: an animal model of schizophrenic overarousal. Science, 165, 12731274.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kornetsky, C., and Mirsky, A. F. (1966). On certain psychopharmacological and physiological differences between schizophrenic and normal persons. Psychopharmacologia, 8, 309318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lader, M. H., and Wing, L. (1966). Physiological Measures, Sedative Drugs and Morbid Anxiety. Maudsley Monograph No. 14. Oxford University Press: London.Google Scholar
Laursen, A. M. (1963). Corpus striatum. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 59, Suppl. 211.Google Scholar
Miller, N. E. (1963). Some reflections on the law of effect produce a new alternative to drive reduction. In Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1963, pp. 65112. Editor Jones, M. R.. University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln.Google Scholar
Millhouse, O. E. (1969). A Golgi study of the descending medial forebrain bundle. Brain Research, 15, 341363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mindham, R. H. S. (1970). Psychiatric symptoms in Parkinsonism. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 33, 188191.Google ScholarPubMed
Munkvad, I., Pakkenberg, H., and Randrup, A. (1968). Aminergic Systems in basal ganglia associated with stereotyped hyperactive behavior and catalepsy. Brain, Behavior, and Evolution, 1, 89100.Google Scholar
Olds, J., and Milner, P. (1954). Positive reinforcement produced by electrical stimulation of septal area and other regions of rat brain. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 47, 419427.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paton, W. D. M. (1970). Drug dependence: pharmacological and physiological aspects. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 4, 247254.Google ScholarPubMed
Pfaffman, C. (1960). The pleasures of sensation. Psychological Review, 67, 253268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, A. G., and Mogenson, G. J. (1969). Self-stimulation of the olfactory bulb. Physiology and Behavior, 4, 195197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramón y Cajal, S. (1966). Studies on the Diencephalon. Translated by Ramón-Moliner, E.. Thomas: Springfield, III.Google Scholar
Randrup, A., and Munkvad, I. (1965). Special antagonism of amphetamine-induced abnormal Behaviour. Psychopharmacologia, 7, 416422.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Randrup, A., and Munkvad, I. (1966). Role of catecholamines in the amphetamine excitatory response, Nature, 211, 540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Randrup, A., and Munkvad, I. (1967). Stereotyped activities produced by amphetamine in several animal species and man. Psychopharmacologia, 11, 300310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rio, J. Del, and Fuentes, J. A. (1969). Further studies on the antagonism of Stereotyped behaviour induced by amphetamine. European Journal of Pharmacology, 8, 7378.Google ScholarPubMed
Rossum, J. M. van (1966). The significance of dopaminereceptor blockade for the mechanism of action of neuroleptic drugs. Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de T herapie, 160, 492494.Google ScholarPubMed
Russell, G. V. (1955). The nucleus locus coeruleus (dorsalateralis tegmenti). Texas Reports in Biology and Medicine, 13, 939988.Google ScholarPubMed
Salzinger, K. (1971). Psychology: the Science of Behavior. Springer: New York.Google Scholar
Schildkraut, J. J. (1965). The catecholamine hypothesis of affective disorders: a review of supporting evidence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 122, 509522.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sheffield, F. D. (1966a). A drive-induction theory of reinforcement. In Carrent Research in Motivation, pp. 98111. Editer, Haber, R. N.. Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston: New York.Google Scholar
Sheffield, F. D. (1966b). New evidence on the drive-induction theory of reinforcement. In Current Research in Motivation, pp. 111122. Editor, Haber, R. N.. Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston: New York.Google Scholar
Sherrington, C. S. (1906). The Integrative Action of the Nervous System. Yale University Press: New Haven.Google Scholar
Spence, K. W. (1956). Behavior Theory and Conditioning. Yale University Press: New Haven.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stein, L. (1962). Effects and interactions of imipramine, chlorpromazine, reserpine and amphetamine on selfstimulation: possible neurophysiological basis of depression. Recent Advances in Biological Psychiatry, 4, 288309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stein, L. (1966). Psychopharmacological aspects of mental depression. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, 11, Suppl. S34–S49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strong, O. S. (1895). The cranial nerves of amphibia. Journal of Morphology, 10, 101230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thorndike, E. L. (1911). Animal Intelligence. Macmillan: New York.Google Scholar
Thorndike, E. L. (1933). A theory of the action of the aftereffects of a connection upon it. Psychological Review, 40, 434439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Troland, L. T. (1932). The Principles of Psychophysiology. Vol. 3. Cerebration and Action. Van Nostrand: New York.Google Scholar
Trowill, J. A., Panskepp, J., and Gandelman, R. (1969). An incentive model of rewarding brain stimulation. Psychological Review, 76, 264281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ungerstedt, U. (1971). Stereotaxic mapping of the monoamine pathways in the rat brain. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, Suppl. 367, 148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Venables, P. H., and Wing, J. K. (1962). Level of arousal and the subclassification of schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 7, 114119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed