sham rage
sudden aggressive behavior and motor activity occurring disproportionally in response to a weak or relatively innocuous stimulus. Sham rage initially was observed by researchers in the 1920s: Following surgical decortication, cats responded to the touch of a hand by growling, spitting, lashing the tail, arching the back, protracting the claws, erecting the hairs, jerking the limbs, rapidly moving the head from side to side, and attempting to bite. It subsequently has been demonstrated to occur with direct electrical stimulation of the limbic system as well. Additionally, sham rage has been seen in some pathological human conditions involving similar damage to the cerebral cortex that removes its inhibitory influence over the activities of the hypothalamus and other deeper, more primitive structures.