ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF ANTERIOR CORTEX AND SKIN-POTENTIAL RESPONSES IN CAT

Electrical stimulation at areas in the sensorimotor and anterior limbic cortices in 12 waking cats produced skin-potential (SP) responses. Control procedures demonstrated that SP responses are not due to spread of current to nonneural structures. An increased stimulus current at each of these areas produced an overt behavioral arousal pattern. This suggests that these cortical areas are part of a central arousal system. Weak stimulation at different parts of the anterior cortex reduced the amplitude of SP responses to an alerting stimulus. A cortical inhibitory influence on SP may be present. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.