title: Voluntary exercise improves performance of a discrimination task through effects on the striatal dopamine system.
abstract: We have previously demonstrated that voluntary exercise facilitates discrimination learning in a modified T-maze. There is evidence implicating the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) as the substrate for this task. The present experiments examined whether changes in DLS dopamine receptors might underlie the exercise-associated facilitation. Infusing a D1R antagonist into the DLS prior to discrimination learning facilitated the performance of nonexercising rats but not exercising rats. Infusing a D2R antagonist impaired the performance of exercising rats but not nonexercising rats. Exercise-associated facilitation of this task may rely on an exercise-induced decrease in D1R and increase in D2R activation in the DLS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405-0134, USA.
authors.forename: Meghan C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Eddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405-0134, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Stansfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405-0134, USA.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D065127:Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D065127:Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; C534628:SCH 23390; D004298:Dopamine