Alteration of exploration and the response to food associated cues after treatment with pimozide.
A series of experiments assessed the effects of pimozide on spontaneous alternation in a Y- and 8-arm radial maze, and on approach to food or cues that had previously been associated with food. Mice treated with pimozide (0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mg/kg) displayed a dose dependent reduction of alternation performance, without engendering a perseverative tendency and apparently without affecting the course of habituation. When food deprived mice entered an arm of the maze that was baited with a food pellet they consumed the food and remained in the vicinity of the food cup. Moreover, upon retesting in the non-drug state mice still exhibited a preference for cues that had been associated with food. It seems that although pimozide at the doses tested produced a haphazard pattern of exploration, the drug did not alter the rewarding value of secondary reinforcers. Contrary to an anhedonic hypothesis, it is suggested that higher doses of pimozide may actually increase, rather than decrease, the saliency of biologically significant stimuli.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003463:Cues; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005502:Food; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010868:Pimozide / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010868:Pimozide