Participation of "emotionality" in activation of the adrenal cortex of rats in some stress situations

Abstract

The present work attempts to interpret the relation between humoral and behavioral manifestations in rats under conditions of stress. The index of the humoral reaction to stress was plasma corticosterone levels. Initially, behavioral manifestations which are commonly subsumed under the term "emotionality" were studied. The methodological problems connected with measurement of emotionality led us to adopt instead the concept of "non-specific excitability" as proposed by J. Lat. Results are presented which point to a relationship between excitability of the animals and the activity of their adrenal cortex.