title: Discriminative and motor performance in rats after interference with dopamine neurotransmission with spiroperidol.
abstract: The disruption of instrumental conditioning after block of central dopamine neurotransmission with drugs or lesions has been explained as an inability to initiate movements rather than as a disruption of learning mechanisms per se. To further investigate this we have developed an under-water swim maze which is a test situation that partly counteracts the akinesia of the animals. The maze has been used to test the effect of dopamine receptor inhibition by spiroperidol on a brightness and a spatial discrimination task. Aquisition was blocked and the behaviour randomized after 0.05 mg/kg and higher doses. Swim speed, however, was not affected by 0.05 mg/kg. This suggests that spiroperidol affects the acquisition of this brightness discrimination task independently of its effects on motor performance. Spatial acquisition was not affected even at 5.0 mg/kg which shows that the deficit can not be generalized to all types of acquisition.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002090:Butyrophenones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D013134:Spiperone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013550:Swimming; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002090:Butyrophenones; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D013134:Spiperone; D004298:Dopamine