Deterministic and probabilistic control of the behavior of rats
ingesting liquid diets .
Davis, John D.
E. W. Bourne Behavioral Research Laboratory, New York Hospital
-Cornell Medical Center, White Plains, NY
APStracts 2:0297R, 1995.
The probability distributions of bouts of licking and pauses between
them in rats ingesting sucrose solutions was studied to determine if
the durations of these ingestive and noningestive acts were
controlled by a deterministic or probabi-listic decision rule in the
CNS. The duration of the bouts of licking could be modeled by a
Poisson process indicating that these bouts were terminated by a
probabilistic rule. Three dif-ferent types of pauses terminated the
bouts of licking. One averaged 0.3 sec, a second 1.5 sec and the
third 50 to 60 sec in duration. The two longer pauses could be
modeled by a Poisson process, indicating that their termination was
also probabilistic in nature. The shorter pauses averaging 0.3 sec
could not and are more likely deterministically controlled.
Received 18 January 1995; accepted in final form 10 September
1995.
APS Manuscript Number R38-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 14 November 95