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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
Published on: February 20, 2019
Lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex cause maladaptive sexual behavior in male rats
Jon F Davis1, Maarten Loos, Andrea R Di Sebastiano
1Department of Cell Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Background:
An inability to inhibit behaviors once they become maladaptive is a component of several psychiatric illnesses, and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was identified as a potential mediator of behavioral inhibition. The current study tested if the mPFC is involved in inhibition of sexual behavior when associated with aversive outcomes.
Methods:
Using male rats, effects of lesions of the infralimbic and prelimbic areas of the mPFC on expression of sexual behavior and ability to inhibit mating were tested using a paradigm of copulation-contingent aversion.
Results:
Medial prefrontal cortex lesions did not alter expression of sexual behavior. In contrast, mPFC lesions completely blocked the acquisition of sex-aversion conditioning and lesioned animals continued to mate, in contrast to the robust behavioral inhibition toward copulation in mPFC intact male animals, resulting in only 22% of intact male animals continuing to mate. However, rats with mPFC lesions were capable of forming a conditioned place preference to sexual reward and conditioned place aversion for lithium chloride, suggesting that these lesions did not alter associative learning or sensitivity for lithium chloride.
Conclusions:
The current study indicates that animals with mPFC lesions are likely capable of forming the associations with aversive outcomes of their behavior but lack the ability to suppress seeking of sexual reward in the face of aversive consequences. These data may contribute to a better understanding of a common pathology underlying impulse control disorders, as compulsive sexual behavior has a high prevalence of comorbidity with psychiatric disorders and Parkinson's disease.
Insights
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for inhibiting maladaptive sexual behaviors. Lesions to the mPFC in male rats prevented them from learning to suppress mating when paired with aversive outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Psychiatric Research
Background:
- Impaired behavioral inhibition is linked to psychiatric disorders.
- The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is implicated in behavioral control.
- This study investigates the mPFC's role in inhibiting sexual behavior linked to negative consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if the mPFC mediates the inhibition of sexual behavior when associated with aversive outcomes.
- To explore the neural underpinnings of behavioral control in the context of reward and aversion.
Main Methods:
- Male rats underwent lesions of the infralimbic and prelimbic areas of the mPFC.
- Sexual behavior and the ability to inhibit mating were tested using a copulation-contingent aversion paradigm.
- Control animals (mPFC intact) were used for comparison.
Main Results:
- mPFC lesions did not affect the basic expression of sexual behavior.
- mPFC-lesioned rats failed to acquire sex-aversion conditioning and continued mating despite aversive outcomes.
- Intact rats demonstrated robust inhibition of mating when paired with aversion (only 22% continued mating).
- mPFC lesions did not impair general associative learning, as evidenced by conditioned place preference/aversion tests.
Conclusions:
- The mPFC is essential for suppressing reward-seeking behavior when faced with negative consequences.
- mPFC dysfunction may underlie impulse control disorders characterized by compulsive behaviors, such as compulsive sexual behavior.
- These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiology of impulse control and its relevance to psychiatric comorbidities.
