Treatment with anticonvulsant drugs retards the development of brain-stimulation reward in the prefrontal cortex.
Electrical stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex in rats daily for nine days caused a marked improvement in the rate of acquisition of a self-stimulation response. Diazepam (1 mg/kg, IP) or phenobarbital (15 mg/kg), but not phenytoin (25 mg/kg), administered during the nine day period of electrical stimulation, attenuated this facilitatory effect. However, diazepam or phenobarbital in the same dosages administered to self-stimulating rats (i.e., after acquisition) failed to alter responding. It was suggested that a kindling-like mechanism may underlie the development of self-stimulation of the prefrontal cortex.
D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects*; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012201:Reward; D012653:Self Stimulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010672:Phenytoin; D003975:Diazepam; D010634:Phenobarbital