Differentiation of hypothalamic feeding and killing

Bipolar electrodes were chronically implanted in the posterior lateral hypothalamic-medial forebrain bundle area of male Long-Evans rats. Animals which displayed either stimulus-bound feeding or stimulus-bound killing were trained to self-stimulate and tested while given the opportunity to eat or kill during self-stimulation. Average duration of barpressing was greater in the presence of the goal object appropriate to the stimulus-bound behavior, suggesting a differentiation of hypothalamic mechanisms of feeding and killing.