Hippocampal EEG and behaviour in dog. III. Hippocampal EEG correlates of stimulus-response tasks and of sexual behaviour

Abstract

A dog was trained to perform a spatial sound discrimination. The hippocampal EEG correlates and the movement correlates of correct trials were compared with those of incorrect trials and of ‘pressings in between’.

Correct and wrong responses on a place learning task were compared both with respect to the hippocampal EEG correlates and to the motor behaviour. Where significant differences in EEG correlates were found, the motor behaviour differed significantly as well. The same was found for 2 behavioural states with different motor behavioural qualities which occurred during copulation.

The data support the hypothesis that the spectral properties of the hippocampal EEG reflect in a predictable but non-specific way the intensity of motor behaviour. They question the postulated correlations between hippocampal EEG and ‘internal processes’, on the ground that unambigous experimental verification of such hypothesis appears to be very difficult.