Haloperidol and clozapine increase neural activity in the rat prefrontal cortex.
Haloperidol and clozapine have been widely used to alleviate schizophrenic symptoms, but their physiological effects in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are not known. Effects of haloperidol and clozapine on single unit activity were investigated in the medial PFC of anesthetized rats. Injection (intraperitoneal) of haloperidol (1 mg/kg) or clozapine (20 mg/kg) significantly elevated discharge rates of PFC neurons. Considering that hypofrontality is one characteristic of schizophrenic symptoms, these results raise the possibility that enhancement of PFC neural activity contributes to therapeutic effects of haloperidol and clozapine.
Kim
Y B
YB
Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Medical Sciences, Ajou University School of Medicine, 442-721, Suwon, South Korea.
Jang
J
J
Chung
Y
Y
Baeg
E H
EH
Kim
H T
HT
Mook-Jung
I
I
Kim
S U
SU
Jung
M W
MW
Chung
Y K
YK
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine; D006220:Haloperidol