[The formation of instrumental escape reactions based on movements induced by stimulation of the motor cortex in dogs].

The purpose of the study was to find out the possibility of instrumentalization of movements induced by stimulation of the motor cortex (MI) in dogs. The scheme of conditioning was as follows. The electrical shock applied to the right forepaw was used for a weak painful stimulation. In 3 s, the stimulation of the MI was added, which elicited the right hind limb flexion. The shock was switched off at the moment of the hind limb lifting. After several trials, the shock began to elicit the hind limb flexion before the cortical stimulation. The scheme of conditioning excluded the possibility of instrumentalization of irrelevant chance movements. Prolonging the shock by 2 s after the cortical stimulation led to extinction of acquired responses. Renewal of reinforcement of the hind limb movements by immediate switching off the shock led to recovery of conditioned reactions. Thus, the instrumental nature of the responses has been proved. The obtained results are of particular interest in connection with the findings that similar acquisition of instrumental reaction on the basis of food reinforcement is impossible. The results support the assumption that the "instrumental" conditioned connection can be addressed directly to the motor cortex.