PSYCHOLOGY OF EMOTIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -The LH is generally known as the hunger center, and two of its main functions are the stimulation of feeding behavior and arousal. Electrical stimulation of the LH results in ravenous eating behavior, and animals are extremely motivated to work for a food reward (Stuber and Wise, 2016).

Detailed explanation-2: -In experiments conducted over 60 years ago, the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) was identified as a critical neuroanatomical substrate for motivated behavior. Electrical stimulation of the LHA induces voracious feeding even in non-restricted animals.

Detailed explanation-3: -They showed that stimulating the lateral hypothalamic area resulted in increased food intake, and conversely, LH lesions caused aphagia and weight loss, which led the authors to label the LH a feeding center.

Detailed explanation-4: -The hypothalamus via various mechanisms controls appetite and food intake. It is also responsible for the control of hunger and thirst. In the basal hypothalamus there are several nuclei that regulate daily energy homeostasis. These control the appetite.

Detailed explanation-5: -The lateral hypothalamus (LH) drives food and water intake through multiple heterogeneous neuronal populations. 15–17 It remains elusive whether LH populations are gated by hunger or thirst, encode nutritional rewards alongside with social rewards, or integrate social drives with nutritional needs.