title: Kindling of the mesolimbic dopamine system: animal model of psychosis.
abstract: In order to examine the behavioral and physiologic consequences of chronic activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system, the nucleus of origin in the ventral tegmental area was stimulated electrically for 2 seconds daily through chronically implanted intracranial electrodes in cats at the same point where instillation of the GABA blocking agent bicuculline induced a characteristic fear, staring, searching, and withdrawal response. None of the animals developed sustained after-discharge or seizures following daily stimulation for 2 months. Progressive fearfulness, hiding, loss of social behavior, and EEG spike or slow activity in the ipsilateral nucleus accumbens developed in three of six intact animals. Two cats with prior 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of catecholamine pathways did not develop behavioral change in response to local bicuculline or daily electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area but demonstrated pronounced after-discharge or EEG spike propagation during the kindling procedure.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001519:Behavior; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D002415:Cats; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008032:Limbic System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D004298:Dopamine; D001640:Bicuculline