The effects of psychotropic drugs on exploratory and stereotyped behaviour of rats studied on a hole-board.
Exploratory and stereotyped behaviour of Male Wistar rats was studied on a hole-board. The two forms of behaviour were differentiated according to the pattern of hole-dipping activity. Increasing doses of dl-amphetamine stimulated both forms of behaviour with stereotyped behaviour becoming predominant particularly at the higher dose levels. At the highest dose of amphetamine used (16 mg/kg) a gradual transition from exploratory to stereotyped behaviour was observed with time. As the drug wore off this transition was reversed. Haloperitol at a dosage of 0.1 and 0.05 mg/kg blocked the response to a high dose of amphetamine whereas a lower dose (0.02 mg/kg) blocked the stereotyped response to amphetamine while some exploratory behaviour still took place. Apomorphine inhibited hole-dipping but at lower doses another form of exploratory behaviour was induced, this behaviour becoming stereotyped as the dose was increased. It is concluded that there is a close relationship between exploratory and stereotyped behaviours. Monoamine systems appear to play a significant role in the regulation of both forms of behaviour.
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000662:Amphetamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D051381:Rats; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*
D000662:Amphetamines; D000661:Amphetamine; D006220:Haloperidol; D001058:Apomorphine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine