It is well known that the primary control of the ingestive behaviours in the animals rests in the hypothalamic centres. The modulatory activities of the other subcortical areas on this subject had been widely debated. The involvement of the amygdaloid centres in this had been confirmed.
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Lesion and stimulation studies involving the amygdala showed that generally the central and dorsal aspects being fecilitatory, while the basal and the lateral portions showed inhibitory influences on the food and water intake in animals.
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In our previous study
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we had demonstrated that the lesions placed in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) increased the food & water intake and the lesions of the Central nucleus (CEA) decreased the intake of both food and water. However it was thought that only the bilateral lesions of the amygdaloid areas would be able to produce these effects. So Gloor
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in his monograph on amygdala suggested that the lesions must be bilateral as far as the amygdaloid areas were concerned. The literature available on the unilateral lesion effects of amygdaloid nuclei is rare.
Presently, here we have performed unilateral lesions in the two distinct areas of the amygdala the BLA and CEA. We studied the parameters namely, food intake, water intake and the changes in the body weight of the animals (Wistar albino rats) before the lesion and after the lesion. We observed distinct behavioural pattern in our studies.
