The cognitive (lateral) hypothalamus.

Trends Cogn Sci

Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address:

Published: January 2024

Despite the physiological complexity of the hypothalamus, its role is typically restricted to initiation or cessation of innate behaviors. For example, theories of lateral hypothalamus argue that it is a switch to turn feeding 'on' and 'off' as dictated by higher-order structures that render when feeding is appropriate. However, recent data demonstrate that the lateral hypothalamus is critical for learning about food-related cues. Furthermore, the lateral hypothalamus opposes learning about information that is neutral or distal to food. This reveals the lateral hypothalamus as a unique arbitrator of learning capable of shifting behavior toward or away from important events. This has relevance for disorders characterized by changes in this balance, including addiction and schizophrenia. Generally, this suggests that hypothalamic function is more complex than increasing or decreasing innate behaviors.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10841673PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2023.08.019DOI Listing

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