Abstract
Previous work has shown that conditioned stereotypy can be produced by repeated treatments with d-amphetamine or apomorphine. We replicated this phenomenon and found that, as in previous reports, the amplitude of conditioned stereotypy was about one-third that of the unconditioned stereotypy. On the basis of the hypothesis that the UCS in this conditioning situation is a specific stimulation level of dopamine receptors expressed as a peak behavioral effect (UCR), rats were exposed to the experimental boxes for a brief interval during the peak behavioral effect of the drugs. This procedure produced an amplitude of conditioned stereotypy about two-thirds that of unconditioned stereotypy. The issue of the synaptic mechanism mediating conditioned stereotypy was addressed by examining the effect of pimozide on the behavior. A dose of pimozide that completely blocked apomorphine-unconditioned stereotypy also blocked apomorphine-conditioned stereotypy with no sign of motor impairment. d-Amphetamine-conditioned stereotypy was not completely blocked by a dose of pimozide that completely blocked d-amphetamine-unconditioned stereotypy. The implications of these findings for understanding the neural basis of conditioned stereotypy are discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 249-258 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1989 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Apomorphine
- Conditioned stereotypy
- Dopamine
- Neural change
- Pharmacological conditioning
- Pimozide
- Stereotypy
- d-Amphetamine
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biological Psychiatry
- Biochemistry
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Toxicology
- Pharmacology