Temporal lobe lesion-induced obesity in rats: An anatomical investigation of the posterior amygdala and hippocampal formation

• Published in: Physiology & behavior Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 843 - 848
• Main Authors: King, Bruce M., Arceneaux, Elizabeth R., Cook, Jack T., Benjamin, Antonio L., Alheid, George F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Elsevier Inc 01.04.1996; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Amygdala; Amygdala - anatomy & histology; Amygdala - physiology; Amygdalohippocampal area; Anatomical correlates of behavior; Animals; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Body weight; Eating - drug effects; Eating - physiology; Female; Food intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - anatomy & histology; Hippocampus - physiology; Obesity - physiopathology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rats; Temporal Lobe - anatomy & histology; Temporal Lobe - physiology; Weight Gain - physiology; Amygdala; Food intake; Body weight; Hippocampus; Amygdalohippocampal area; Obesity; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Nutrition disorder; Basal ganglion; Feeding; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Female; Nutritional status; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0031-9384; 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(95)02146-9

Bilateral lesions centered in the posterodorsal amygdala of female rats resulted in hyperphagia and excessive weight gain (mean = 65.3 g in 20 days compared to 6.8 g for control animals). The brain damage always extended posteriorly into the ventral hippocampal formation. However, lesions that were confined to the ventral hippocampus or amygdalohippocampal area had no effect on daily food intake or body weight, nor did lesions at any other hippocampal site. In a previous study, lesions of the basolateral, corticomedial, and anterior groups of amygdaloid nuclei failed to affect food intake or body weight. It is concluded that the posterodorsal aspect of the amygdala is the critical site for this experimentally induced obesity syndrome. New coordinates for the effective site are presented.