Food wrenching and dodging: A neuroethological test of cortical and dopaminergic contributions to sensorimotor behavior in the rat.

Sensorimotor behavior in unilateral decorticate and unilateral dopamine-depleted rats was studied in a naturally occurring social interaction in which rats compete for food with relatively stereotyped species-typical responses. In the interaction a "robber" attempts to wrest food from a feeding "victim," which in turn protects the food by making rapid contralateral dodges. Hemidecortication abolished dodging to food wrenching attempts made by a rat approaching contralaterally to the lesion, so that the food was stolen, but recovery occurred between 15 and 60 days after surgery. Use of the side contralateral to the lesion to wrest food was moderately impaired, and recovery of food wresting was more rapid than recovery of dodging. Unilateral dopamine depletion produced dodging impairments to food-wresting attempts that were made both ipsilateral and contralateral to the side of the lesion, and the deficits endured over 60 test days. The food was frequently lost to food-wrenching attempts made contralateral to the lesion, whereas the direction of dodges to approaches ipsilateral to the lesion was reversed. Food wresting was also bilaterally impaired. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)