title: Deficits in inhibitory avoidance after neurotoxic lesions of the ventral striatum are neurochemically and behaviorally selective.
abstract: Inhibitory avoidance (step-in type) was investigated in rats subjected to neurochemical lesions of the ventral striatum. The neurotoxins 6-hydroxydopamine or 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine were used to produce selective depletions of either dopamine, norepinephrine or serotonin. Only lesions which decreased the dopamine content of the ventral striatum impaired post-shock step-in behavior. Measurement of footshock reactivity by the Flinch-Jump technique indicated that only serotonin depletion altered reactivity to footshocks. Assessment of open-field locomotor behavior showed that the dopamine-denervated rats were hypoactive (fewer rearings) compared to controls, whereas serotonin-depleted rats were hyperactive. It is concluded that the deficit in inhibitory avoidance behavior following ventral striatal dopamine loss was dissociated from its effect on locomotor activity.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarting
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Carey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D004597:Electroshock; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000502:physiology*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine