Effects of bilateral frontal lesions on habituation of the head-shake response in the rat

This experiment investigated the effects of bilateral frontal cortical lesions on the frequency and shape of the habituation curve of the head-shake response, elicited by stimulating the ear with a stream of air, in the rat. The results from an initial procedural-control group indicated that the damage done to the ear by mounting the rats in a stereotaxic was sufficient to increase responding. The results from the basic experiment, using a before-after design, indicated that bilateral frontal cortical lesions led to an overall increase in responding but had no effect on the shape of the habituation curve over trials. The responding of control animals given bilateral cortical lesions in the occipito-parietal area had no effect on responding. The results suggest that the frontal cortex, at least in the rat, is not involved in habituation of all responses.