Mesial cortical lesions and fear behavior in the wild rat

Abstract

Defensive behaviors of wild Rattus rattus were examined following lesions of anterior or posterior mesial cortex or control lesions in lateral cortical areas. The experimental lesions did not reduce flight, fear-based biting, or reactivity to contact or handling in these wild rats. The high levels of fear-related behaviors seen before surgery continued for all groups. Damage to the mesial cortex, which involves equivalents to the human prefrontal cortex, thus produced no indication of reductions in a variety of fear-related behaviors. © 1985, Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.