Hippocampal correlates of consummatory and observed behavior

Because of certain conflicting results and interpretations of the functional significance of hippocampal theta activity, an attempt was made to record such activity from albino rats during typical behavior patterns and motivational conditions. Theta activity clearly demonstrated during exposure to a novel environment, decreased during repeated presentations of that environment. Food deprivation reinstated theta activity, but was immediately "blocked" when feeding was initiated. Water deprivation and drinking yielded results parallel to those obtained with food. A similar "blocking" was observed when the animal engaged in grooming behavior. In an effort to resolve certain conflicting results, a tentative hypothesis was suggested in which hippocampal theta activity was related to attention mechanisms (information processing) and hippocampal desynchronization (theta "blocking") was related to organized response patterns.