On the influence of external inhibition on the development of internal inhibition during the extinction of a conditioned reflex

The physiology of the cerebral hemispheres knows two types of central inhibition: internal and external. The mechanism of the formation of internal inhibition is characterized by the gradual development of the inhibitory process arising as a result of the direct action on a given center of that stimulus, which loses its positive properties due to certain conditions. In contrast to internal inhibition, external inhibition occurs along the periphery of the active focus and arises as soon as this active focus appears. At present, there are many data indicating that external and internal inhibition, despite the different mechanisms of formation of both, are qualitatively homogeneous processes.