title: Behavioral effects of neurotensin: operant responding and assessment of 'anhedonia'.
abstract: Neurotensin and antipsychotic drugs share certain properties. This study investigates whether neurotensin and neuroleptics share the ability to produce 'anhedonia'. A dose-response curve for the effect of neurotensin on continuously reinforced behavior was obtained in Experiment 1. Centrally administered neurotensin reduced food-reinforced responding. Based on the results of Experiment 1, a dose of neurotensin (0.95 micrograms) was chosen which had minimal effects on food-reinforced operant responding. To test for anhedonia, repeated presentations of this dose were given. Because response rates did not decrease over repeated testing, no evidence for anhedonia was found.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rossitch
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luttinger
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Nemeroff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005502:Food; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology
chemical_list: D009496:Neurotensin