FIGURE 4.

Effects of inactivation on measures of incentive contrast were specific to the rostral mPFC. (A) Inactivation of the rostral, but not the caudal, mPFC reduced licking for the higher value fluid. (B) Inactivations also reduced bout durations following rostral mPFC inactivation. No effects of caudal mPFC inactivation were found for any measure of licking microstructure, including bout duration. These data were collected in four rats with dual bilateral cannula (blue and red dots in Figure 3A). (C) Inactivation of rostral mPFC in nine rats (see cannula locations in Figure 3A) decreased licking for the high value (20%) sucrose and increased consumption of low value (4%) sucrose. (D) Bout duration for high, but not low, value sucrose was also reduced following inactivation. (E) There was no change in the number of licking bouts for the high value sucrose. However, more bouts were emitted when the low value fluid was available and the rostral mPFC was inactivated. *p < 0.05.