Separately Administered Selective Dopamine D1 and D2 Antagonists do not Affect Performance Accuracy in a Conditional Response Task in Rats

Abstract

Abstract The acute effects of separately administered selective dopamine D1 and D2 receptor antagonists–SCH 23390 and raclopride, respectively–on the performance of a conditional response task were tested in a preliminary (small group, n = 6) study in rats. The effects of four doses of each drug (SCH 23390: 0–0.1 mg/kg; raclopride: 0–0.4 mg/kg) were tested consecutively in the same rats, using blinded Latin square designs. The conditional response task was performed in T-maze using tactile discrimination stimuli and spatial responses. The number of errors was not affected by the dopamine antagonists. However, the average response latency was significantly increased after administration of the highest doses of SCH 23390 and raclopride compared to saline. it seems that antagonism at either D1 or D2 receptors alone is not sufficient to produce impairments in performance accuracy using the present conditional response task.