Intracranial self-stimulation and wakefulness: effect of manipulating ambient brain catecholamines.
Rats were given disulfiram, an inhibitor of norepinephrine biosynthesis, to see if norepinephrine is a transmitter for motivation in electrical stimulation of the brain. Animals given the drug paused in bar pressing, appearing asleep or sedated; if replaced on the bar, they always resumed pressing at normal rates. The decrease in bar pressing may result from a direct or indirect effect of the drug on wakefulness rather than on reward.
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D012653:Self Stimulation; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects*
D004221:Disulfiram; D009638:Norepinephrine