FORMATION OF ESCAPE REACTIONS ON THE BASIS OF MOVEMENTS ELICITED BY STIMULATION OF THE MOTOR CORTEX IN DOGS

The purpose of the study was to find out the possibility of instrument alization of movements induced by stimulation of the motor cortex (MI) in dogs. The scheme of conditioning was as follows. The electrical sh ock applied to the right forepaw was used for a weak painful stimulati on. In 3 s, the stimulation of the MI was added, which elicited the ri ght hind limb flexion. The shock was switched off at the moment of the hind limb lifting. After several trials, the shock began to elicit th e hind limb flexion before the cortical stimulation. The scheme of con ditioning excluded the possibility of instrumentalization of irrelevan t chance movements. Prolonging the Shock by 2 s. after the cortical st imulation led to extinction of acquired responses. Renewal of reinforc ement of the hind limb movements by immediate switching off the shock led to recovery of conditioned reactions. Thus, the instrumental natur e of the responses has been proved. The obtained results are of partic ular interest in connection with the findings that similar acquisition of instrumental reaction on the basis of food reinforcement is imposs ible. The results support the assumption that the ''instrumental'' con ditioned connection can be addressed directly to the motor cortex.