Abstract
PUNISHMENT is defined as the presentation of a noxious stimulus and results in the suppression of behaviour. This suppressive effect of punishment is seen clearly in conflict situations where the organism is encouraged to respond and then is punished for doing so. Brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) systems have been implicated in the processes associated with the response to punishment. We show here that selective neurotoxin lesions to the 5-HT forebrain pathways reverse the suppressive effects of punishment, as do minor tranquillisers, supporting the view that 5-HT has a central role in conflict behaviour and in the effect of minor tranquillisers on such behaviour.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Graeff, F. G. & Schoenfeld, R. I. J. Pharm. exp. Ther. 173, 277–283 (1970).
Stein, L., Wise, C. D. & Berger, B. D. in The Benzodiazepines (eds Garattini, S., Mussini, G. & Randall, L. D.) (Raven, New York, 1973).
Geller, I., Hartmann, R. J. & Croy, D. J. Res. Commun. Chem. Pathol. Pharmac. 7, 165–174 (1974).
Geller, I. & Blum, K. Eur. J. Pharmac. 9, 319–324 (1970).
Robichand, R. C. & Sledge, K. L. Life Sci. 8, 965–969 (1970).
Wise, C. D., Berger, B. D. & Stein, L. Biol. Psychiat. 6, 3–21 (1973).
Wise, D. C., Berger, B. D. & Stein, L. Science 177, 180–183 (1972).
Stein, L., Wise, D. C. & Belluzi, J. D. Adv. biochem. Psychopharmac. 14, (1975).
Bjorklund, A., Nobin, A. & Stenavi, U. Anatomia 145, 489–501 (1973).
Baumgarten, H. G. et al. J. Neurochem. 19, 1587–1597 (1972).
Bjorklund, A., Baumgarten, H. G. & Renach, D. J. Neurochem. 24, 833–835 (1975).
Gerson, S. & Baldessarini, R. J. Brain Res. 35, 140–145 (1975).
Lidbrink, P., Jonsson, G. & Fuxe, K. Neuropharmacology 10, 521–536 (1971).
Sachs, C. & Jonsson, G. Res. Commun. Chem. Path. Pharmac. 4, 203–220 (1972).
Everitt, B. J., Fuxe, K. & Jonsson, G. J. Pharmac. (Fr.) 6, 25–32 (1975).
Kelleher, R. T. & Morse, W. H. Fedn Proc. 23, 808–817 (1964).
Hole, K. Brain Res. 107, 385–399 (1976).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
TYE, N., EVERITT, B. & IVERSEN, S. 5-Hydroxytryptamine and punishment. Nature 268, 741–743 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/268741a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/268741a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Serotonin Modulates the Effects of Pavlovian Aversive Predictions on Response Vigor
Neuropsychopharmacology (2012)
-
The effects of acute tryptophan depletion on costly information sampling: impulsivity or aversive processing?
Psychopharmacology (2012)
-
Chlorpheniramine exerts anxiolytic-like effects and activates prefrontal 5-HT systems in mice
Psychopharmacology (2011)
-
Acute Tryptophan Depletion in Healthy Volunteers Enhances Punishment Prediction but Does not Affect Reward Prediction
Neuropsychopharmacology (2008)
-
The Impact of Tryptophan Depletion and 5-HTTLPR Genotype on Passive Avoidance and Response Reversal Instrumental Learning Tasks
Neuropsychopharmacology (2007)