Neural pathways mediating hypothalamically elicited flight behavior in the cat.

This study has sought to identify hypothalamic pathways mediating flight behavior in the cat. Flight behavior, characterized by an initial pupillary dilatation and followed by vigorous attempts to leap out of the observation chamber, was elicited primarily by electrical stimulation of the medial preoptic region and dorsomedial hypothalamus, and to a lesser extent from the perifornical region. A [14C]-2-deoxyglucose analysis was utilized to examine brain regions functionally activated by stimulation of hypothalamic sites which elicited flight behavior. In a second series of experiments, [3H]leucine injected into regions surrounding electrode tips from which flight had previously been elicited, permitted identification of pathways arising from such functionally characterized sites. We describe for the first time pathways arising from the hypothalamus which mediate flight behavior. In spite of individual variation in placement of electrodes eliciting flight, a consistent pattern of labeling was observed following injection of either [14C]-2-deoxyglucose systemically or [3H]amino acids into the hypothalamus. The primary rostral target structures receiving inputs from flight electrode sites included the nuclei of the diagonal band, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial amygdaloid nucleus, lateral septal nucleus, and anterior medial preoptico-hypothalamus. Caudal to the level of stimulation, the principal target nuclei involved the centrum medianum-parafascicular complex and the midbrain central gray substance. Possible roles of these nuclear regions in organization and regulation of flight behavior is discussed.