Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

08:38
Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents
Published on: September 1, 2011
Habituation of electrically induced readiness to gnaw
Abstract:
Electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus in prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) produced a readiness to gnaw which decreased over time, exhibited spontaneous recovery, and could be dishabituated by foot shock. The response decrement was in part habituatory and could modify the interaction between a stimulation-induced readiness to gnaw and a physiologically induced hunger. Functional plasticity of stimulation-induced behavior might be accounted for, in part, by habituation.
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