Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book concerns brain function and behavior and specifically with the neural substrates of thermoregulatory, feeding, sexual and aggressive behaviors. It considers the neural substrates of certain behaviors which investigate in the laboratory, this is done from the perspective of the characteristics and determinants of the behavior. The distinctive feature of this book is the recognition that several factors contribute to thermoregulatory, feeding, aggressive, and other behaviors and that they contribute differentially depending on the species, the sex of the animal, the behavior, the internal physiological state, the circumstances of the environment, past experience, and the stage of ontogenetic development. It deals with brain function and behavior in general terms, beginning with a brief discussion of the study of the neural substrates of behavior in historical perspective.