Afferent projections to affective attack sites in cat hypothalamus

Horseradish peroxidase was deposited at sites at which affective attack was elicited by electrical stimulation. Cells containing reaction products were found in the nucleus accumbens, subiculum and presubiculum, the medial nucleus of the amygdala, the lateral and to a lesser extent the medial septal nuclei. In the thalamus cells were found in the paraventricular nucleus and nucleus reuniens. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and anterior commissure contained a small number of reactive cells. The lateral and medial preoptic areas were well represented, as was the anterior hypothalamic area. There were numerous cells in a large number of the hypothalamic regions, namely, the lateral hypothalamus particularly the dorsal part, the periventricular area, the dorsal part of the paraventricular nucleus, ventromedial nucleus, the arcuate nucleus, the perifornical region, and even the supraoptic nucleus. The posterior hypothalamic and supramammillary regions also had reactive cells. In the midbrain such cells were found in the ventral, lateral and dorsal central gray matter and in the superior central nucleus of the raphe. In the pontine region, the locus coeruleus, the parabrachial nuclei and the dorsal tegmental nucleus of the Gudden had cells with reaction products. Several of these regions also contained cells after HRP injections at quiet attack sites.