Abstract
We have previously reported that, from a phenomenological standpoint, the behavioral manifestations of cats chronically intoxicated with amphetamine parallel the evolution of the paranoid psychosis induced by the drug in humans. However, certain manifestations in the cat, such as frozen postures, disjunctive behaviors and postures, cataleptic-like phenomena, obstinate progression, loss of righting reflex and pupillary changes, did not appear to be consistent with the phenomenology of the paranoid psychosis. Since treatment of schizophrenic patients with disulfiram, an inhibitor of norepinephrine synthesis that acts at the level of the enzyme dopamine beta-hydroxylase, thereby leading to increased dopamine concentrations, had been found to profoundly exaggerate psychotic symptomatology, amphetamine behavioral syndrome in the cat as it is modified by pretreatment with disulfiram. Following such pretreatment, a faster development of certain end-stage components of the amphetamine syndrome was obtained. Thus, on the first day, development of a Reactive attitude and of more prominent behavioral disjunction occurred with the combined drug administration as compared with amphetamine alone. In contrast with the facilitation of these behaviors was the absence of dyskinesias and hyperreflexia on that day. Stereotyped behavior, loss of motor initiative and hyperkinetic activity were markedly enhanced and appeared with a shorter latency period on subsequent days of the intoxication cycle. Loss of righting reflex was an early manifestation in these animals. During the later days, the particularly high level of compulsive activity was evident from the occurrence of an obstinate progression syndrome and the performance of stereotyped movements of the head in the presence of a crucifixion posture. In general, modification of the amphetamine effects on behavior was in a direction consistent with comparable features in experimental catatonia and the catatonic form of schizophrenia. The need to integrate such phenomena in any amphetamine model of psychosis is stressed and analogies are drawn with similar features reported in animals treated with bulbocapnine or other psychotogenic compounds and with symptoms of human amphetamine psychosis and schizophrenia.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: National Institute on Drug Abuse research monograph series
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.