Neuroleptic-induced attenuation of brain stimulation reward in rats.
In 30-min free-operant tests, the dopamine receptor blockers pimozide (.125, .25, and .50 mg/kg) and (+)-butaclamol (.1, .2, and .4 mg/kg) attenuated lever pressing for lateral hypothalamic brain stimulation. When discrete self-stimulation trials were offered in a straight alleyway, pimozide increased start box latencies, slowed running speeds, and reduced lever-pressing rates. However, performance early in both lever-pressing and runway sessions was normal; performance deteriorated as testing progressed, following patterns that paralleled those seen when animals were tested with reductions in the amplitude of stimulating current. Spontaneous recovery was obtained in both situations; experimenter-imposed 10-min time-outs caused renewed lever pressing and running. In contrast, alpha-noradrenergic receptor blockade by phenoxybenzamine (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) failed to produce extinction-like response patterns. These data support the view that central dopaminergic systems are important components of the neural mechanisms mediating reward.
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002069:Butaclamol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D010643:Phenoxybenzamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010868:Pimozide / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012201:Reward; D012653:Self Stimulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002395:Catecholamines; D010643:Phenoxybenzamine; D010868:Pimozide; D002069:Butaclamol; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine