title: Quinpirole-induced sensitization to noisy/sparse periodic input: temporal synchronization as a component of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: Quinpirole-sensitized rats were tested on a discrete-trials 40-s peak-interval procedure using lever pressing as the instrumental response. Although there was no evidence of rhythmical activity in lever pressing, periodic output was observed in a secondary response (food-cup entries) during the inter-trial interval following the delivery of reinforcement on fixed-interval trials, but not during unreinforced probe trials. This repetitive pattern of behavior with a 40-s period points to the primacy of reinforcement as a time marker and an increased tendency to synchronize to noisy and sparse periodic input as a result of reduced inhibitory control in cortico-striatal circuits following chronic quinpirole administration. Parallels between quinpirole-induced rhythmical behavior and the repetitive motor habits frequently observed in obsessive-compulsive disorder are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Genome Sciences Research Building II, 572 Research Drive, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Meck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000502:physiology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019257:Quinpirole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D019257:Quinpirole