[Experience of the first "whisker-dependent" task influenced c-Fos induction in rat barrel cortex neurons during acquisition of the second "whisker-independent" task].

In this work we aimed to create a controlled history of two sequential trainings in order to find out activation patterns of "the first task" neurons during the second task learning. Rats were first trained to perform instrumental water rewarded behavior that required using left or right whiskers (a conditioned "whisking" task), and then to perform food-acquisition task of pedal pressing (not a conditioned "whisking" task). We found that food-acquisition task learning is accompanied by c-Fos induction in the barrel cortex neurons in animals that learned previously a conditioned "whisking" task.

[Learning and memory: traditional and systemic approach].

The same empiric event may appear as different facts for authors adhering to different theories. The present work was designed with analyze learning and memory from the viewpoint of systemic approach and to compare this view with the traditional one. Neuron's activity is considered not as a response to synaptic inflow that ensures the conduction of excitation but as means of changing the relation with environment, "action" that helps eliminate the discrepancy between cell's needs and its microenvironment.

[Activity of anterolateral motor cortex neurons in instumental food-acquisition and alcohol-acquisition behavior].

Singleunit activity of anterolateral area of motor cortex in rabbits subjected to chronic ethanol treatment was recorded to study interconnections of neuronal mechanisms of newly formed instrumental alcohol-acquisition behavior (IAB) and previously formed food-acquisition behavior (IFB). Adult animals were trained to perform IFB in experimental cage equipped with two food boxes and two pedals situated in the corners of the cage. Food was presented automatically in a food box after the pressing of an appropriate pedal.

[Long-term potentiation and unit evoked responses in the cingulate cortex of freely moving rats].

Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic efficacy is considered to be the most probable physiological mechanism of long-term memory. However, lack of understanding of cellular and subcellular mechanisms of LTP induction in freely behaving animals does not correspond to the importance of the problem. It was tested whether the characteristics of potentiation in the cingulate cortex after tetanization of the subiculocingulate tract (SCT) meet the criteria of true LTP (that passes all known stages in its development and lasts for more than a day in freely-behaving animals).

[Involvement of rabbit motor cortex neurons in the instrumental behavior before and after chronic ethanol consumption: a comparison with the limbic cortex].

The effect of acute administration is significantly more prominent in the limbic (cingulate) than in the motor cortex [9]. We proposed that the limbic cortex is more sensitive also to chronic ethanol treatment (CET). It was shown that morphology as well as neuronal activity of the limbic cortex changed greatly after the CET [7].

[Distribution of behaviorally specialized neurons and expression of the c-fos transcription factor in the rat cerebral cortex during learning].

In order to investigate the relation between the immediate early gene induction in neurons and neuronal specialization in respect to functional systems of newly formed behavior, the neuronal expression of Fos transcription factor in rat brain was studied in animals of learning group and home cage control group. Animals of the learning group acquired a new behavior of pressing a pedal. Fos-positive neurons were counted in the retrosplenial area of cingulate cortex and anterolateral area of motor cortex, i.

[Activity of neurons in the anterolateral region of the rabbit motor cortex during taking food and nonfood objects in instrumental behavior].

We showed earlier that only 2-4% of N-neurons in the rabbit's anterolateral ("masticatory") motor cortex (AC) that are being specialized in relation to Newly formed acts (such as pressing the pedal, approaching the pedal) during the elaboration of instrumental food-acquistion behavior. The majority of neurons in this area are O-neurons that are specialized in relation to the Older acts formed long before the acquisition of instrumental behavior: mostly taking of food. It was shown also that electrical stimulation of this area produced jaw movements.

[Patterns in the shaping and realization of individual experience].

This article describes the methodological approach of systemic psychology. In the framework of this approach a wide range of experimental data is analyzed: results of neuronal recordings in vitro and in awake normal and pathological animals learning to perform and performing both complex instrumental and simple behavioral acts. Another block of analyzed data is based on the experiments with human subjects that learn and perform the tasks of categorization of words and operator tasks, subjects, performing group game activity and answering the questionnaires of psychodiagnostic methods.

[Structural changes and reorganization of the activity of the cortical neurons in the behavior of chronically alcoholized rabbits].

Unit activity in the limbic cortex recorded during food acquisition behaviour was analyzed in the rabbits that were subjected to chronic (2.5-3.0 months) alcohol administration (CA).

[The effect of acute alcohol administration on auditory evoked potentials in altricial nestlings during the development of natural behavior].

Acute ethanol influence on field L auditory evoked potentials (AEP) was studied in 4-8-days-old altricial nestlings of pied flycatcher. Nestlings were presented with tone pips related with the realization of natural behaviour (2.0 and 5.

[The effect of the acute administration of ethanol on the realization of behavior and its neuronal support].

In experiments on rabbits trained to instrumental food procuring behaviour it was cleared up, which changes of activity of neurones of the limbic cortical area corresponded to disturbances of this behaviour (increase in time of realization and in the number of errors) caused by intraperitoneal injection of 12% ethanol solution in a dose of 1 g/kg. In comparison with control (administration of isotonic solution), the number of active cells singled out in the microelectrode track was reduced by 1/3; the pattern of behavioural specialization of neurones involved in provision of the disturbed behaviour was changed. The content of neurones of the most recent systems formed during animals learning instrumental behaviour, decreased from 27 to 11%, and of neurones providing for realization of systems formed at previous stages of individual development increased from 18 to 36%.

[Neuronal specialization of the motor cortex in normal rabbits and following destruction of the visual cortex].

The activity of neurones of the anterolateral part of the motor cortex in food-acquisition behaviour was compared in two control rabbits and in three rabbits after the operation of bilateral ablation of the striatal cortex. In two of three operated rabbits the pattern of behavioural specialization lost considerably the specificity peculiar to the motor cortex (predominance of G-neurones activated in grasping of food), approaching (but not becoming identical) the pattern of specialization of the visual cortex neurones: the number of G-neurones decreased in a half, and the number of L-neurones (activated in connection with the acts of instrumental food-acquisition behaviour which animals were trained to in the experimental cage) was doubled. Changes of the activity were significantly less expressed in the third operated rabbit.

[Role of a goal in determining neuronal activity of the motor and visual areas of the rabbit cortex].

In experiments on alert rabbits neuronal activity of the motor and visual cortical areas was studied in behavioural acts (BA) of grasping of a piece of plastics (P) and carrot (C) from consequently presented cups of the feeder; the animal had an opportunity to seize a C piece only after grasping and taking away from the previous cup the P piece. "Visual environment" in which BA were realized were identical; P and C pieces were identical in form and visual characteristics. Records were made of unit activity (201 cells), animal's movements (photoelectric method), EMG of the m.

[Activity of neurons of the somatosensory and visual cortex in the rabbit during visual field testing and performance of food-getting behavior].

The activity of somatosensory and visual cortex neurons was compared in experiments on freely moving rabbits during testing of their receptive field and during natural "stimulation" of the receptive areas by environmental objects in food-acquisition behaviour. It was found that the neuronal activity during the receptive field testing may correspond completely, partly or not at all to that in food-acquisition behaviour, i.e.

[Activity of visual and motor cortex neurons during performance of a behavioral act with open and closed eyes].

The influence of closing the eyes (by means of a special device) on the neuronal activity in the visual and motor cortical areas was analysed in a trained rabbit during behavioural act of seizing the food. It was found that activation of the neurones of both cortical areas in the course of the act appears both with closed and open eyes at all its stages, i.e.

[Changes in the configuration of conditioned reactions of visual cortex neurons during changes in reinforcement parameters].

In order to study the influences of controlled changes of defensive integration on the activity of visual cortical units their responses to a conditioned light flash and electric cutaneous stimulation with a 600 msec interval between them were recorded in experiments on alert rabbits. It has been shown that in a third of the neurones the types of reaction to light flashes and electric stimuli coincide. The changes in parameters of the reinforcing shock led to a changed response of most cells to the conditioned photic stimulus and electric stimulation.