ABSTRACT
In higher mammals and especially in man, there is a greater utilization of experiential and cognitive processes for the initiation of various behaviors including feeding. This chapter considers food intake and energy deficit signals that are only one of the determinants of feeding behavior: The palatability of food, external stimuli, circadian rhythms, and experiential and cognitive factors also contribute; these are discussed in relation to the characteristics of feeding as a motivated behavior. The temporal pattern of feeding can be recorded by attaching an electronic device to the food dish or by having the rat press a lever to obtain food pellets. Many investigators have considered the control of food intake from the viewpoint of regulatory physiology—of energy regulation—and have regarded feeding as a behavioral adaptation that contributes to body-energy homeostasis. The first evidence that implicated catecholaminergic neurons in feeding behavior was the demonstration that the application of norepinephrine to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) initiated feeding behavior in rats.
