9603917 Sachs Certain conceptual issues have continued to vex scientists throughout history. For example, distinctions between nature vs nurture and between appetitive vs consummatory elements of behavior. This debate is fueled by the difficulty in distinguishing between a strong desire (appetitive) and the outcome of that desire (consummatory) just as it is difficult to separate the role of biology (nature) from the environment (nurture) on behavior. Dr. Sachs may have the model system to address the appetitive-consummatory issue since he is able to separate arousal from the motivation-performance aspect of the behavior. Using a variety of techniques ranging from the classic endocrine manipulations to analyzing immediate early gene expression in specific brain regions, he will identify the sensory, neural, and hormonal mechanisms that underlie this autonomic armusal process. Dr. Sachs will use his model to explore the relationship between autonomic arousal process, brain, and behavior. The results will not only provide novel information about the central and peripheral mechanisms underlying arousal but will also contribute to our conceptual understanding of the distinction between appetitive and consummatory elements of the behavior.
