Behavioural consequences of nucleus accumbens dopaminergic stimulation and glutamatergic blocking in pigeons.
Upon systemic administration of apomorphine, a potent dopamine agonist, pigeons show a bout of pecking behaviour. When the drug is repeatedly administered a sensitization takes place that is associated with pronounced discrimination learning. Here we show that intra-cerebral injections of apomorphine in the periphery of the nucleus accumbens of pigeons also elicit pecking. We additionally show that injections of 5-amino-phosphonohepatnoic acid, a NMDA-glutamate receptor blocker, into the Acc impairs the performance of a learned visual discrimination incorporating pecking as a choice response. We conclude that, as it is the case in mammals, the control mechanisms of learned sensory-motor behaviour in birds involves dopaminergic and glutamatergic synaptic transmission within the nucleus accumbens area.
Acerbo
Martín J
MJ
Allgemeine Psychologie, Universität Konstanz, Germany.
Gargiulo
Pascual A
PA
Krug
Ines
I
Delius
Juan D
JD
D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D010856:Columbidae; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D007267:Injections; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D011810:Quinoxalines; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C062865:2,3-dioxo-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine