The extinction of conditioned food reflexes acquired based on the dominant

Extinction of alimentary conditioned responses, elaborated on the basis of the hunger dominant, when the animal, despite the realization of one-eye blinking reaction, did not receive food, took place in the course of 4-8 experiments. This process was of undulatory character. At the initial stage of extinction the manifestation of the swallowing and chewing reactions intensified, the amplitude of the blinking reaction of the trained eye increased and often acquired a tonic form, blinking of two eyes appeared, the general motor activity of the animal raised. At the end of extinction, when the goal-directed blinking reaction was absent, the number of the swallowing and chewing movements lowered, the general motor activity of the animal was decreased. It is suggested that at the first stage of extinction growing excitation takes place in the motivational "hunger centre". The process irradiates to other centres, as a result the behavioural reactions under study are realized. At the end of extinction the concentration of excitation takes place, leading to and absence of activation of the temporary connection between the "hunger centre" and the "blinking centre".