Abstract
Previous research has shown that adult rats sustaining near-total depletions of striatal dopamine (DA) as neonates exhibit few of the profound deficits in ingestion and sensory-motor behavior seen in comparably lesioned adults. This study extends these findings to another realm of DA-related behavior, reward function. In a rate-frequency curve-shift measurement paradigm, reward effectiveness of lateral hypothalamic brain stimulation was shown to be normal in adult rats depleted of brain DA as neonates. However, impairments were seen in rapid-initiation operant performance. Neonatally DA-depleted rats were also shown to be subsensitive to the DA receptor antagonist pimozide, suggesting that activity within undamaged DA neurons is not necessary for the elicitation of hypothalamic self-stimulation reward.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: 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.
