Schedule-Induced Polydipsia and Neocortical Lesions in the Rat

Abstract

The effects of frontal, midcortical, or occipital lesions on water intake following 23-hr. water deprivation or under conditions of schedule-induced polydipsia within an operant response paradigm were noted. Water intake in the home cage (control) and bar-pressing rates for food were not reliably affected by any of the lesions. Midcortical lesions placed prior to experimentation did not affect the polydipsia, but frontal or occipital lesions placed at the same time attenuated the development of polydipsia. Frontal or occipital lesions placed following the acquisition of polydipsia did not affect the course of polydipsia.