Dopaminergic agonistic and antagonistic drugs in the ventral tegmentum of rats inhibit and facilitate changes of food-search behaviour.
The proposal that an increase of dopaminergic activity in the mesocorticolimbic pathway increases the probability of behavioural change is tested. Rats were trained to search for 4 food pellets in a 16-hole board arena. Groups of rats received lesions of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or injections of spiroperidol or apomorphine into the VTA after sessions 4 and 7 (max. 9 sessions). Spiroperidol-treated and lesioned animals changed their preferred food-hole visit sequences more often than controls. After session 7 the apomorphine-treated group change less often than controls. It is proposed that increased dopaminergic activity in the mesocorticolimbic pathway facilitates changes of behavioural strategy.
D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002090:Butyrophenones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D051381:Rats; D013134:Spiperone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013681:Tegmentum Mesencephali / Q000187:drug effects*
D002090:Butyrophenones; D013134:Spiperone; D001058:Apomorphine