Effect of food deprivation upon electrically elicited predation in the cat

Abstract

The present experiment examined the effects of food deprivation upon predatory attack elicited by electrical stimulation of lateral hypothalamic sites in the cat. Latencies for attack initiation and for object contact were assessed under ad libitum feeding conditions and compared, in a within-subjects design, to attack latencies following 72 hr of food deprivation. Both initiation and object contact latencies were significantly reduced by food deprivation, suggesting a relationshhip between food deprivation and predation. Latencies recovered to initial baseline levels following the reinstitution of ad libitum feeding conditions.