Effects of acute administration of d-amphetamine and haloperidol on procedural learning in man.
The effects of an indirect dopamine-agonist, d-amphetamine, and a non-selective dopamine receptor antagonist, haloperidol, were investigated in normal male volunteers using a between-subjects double-blind design in a procedural learning task, thought mainly to involve unconscious/automatic learning. The results showed: (1) d-amphetamine facilitated response speed, whereas haloperidol inhibited it, in comparison to placebo; (2) the linear increase in procedural learning corresponded with pharmacological manipulation of degree of dopaminergic activity, i.e. subjects given haloperidol showed the least, and subjects given d-amphetamine the greatest, procedural learning. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to investigation of abnormalities of procedural learning processes in schizophrenia.
Kumari
V
V
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, UK.
Corr
P J
PJ
Mulligan
O F
OF
Cotter
P A
PA
Checkley
S A
SA
Gray
J A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D006220:Haloperidol; D003913:Dextroamphetamine