Reassessment of amphetamine- and phencyclidine-induced locomotor hyperactivity as a model of psychosis-like behavior in rats.
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience January 28, 2022 Snezana Kusljic, Maarten Van den Buuse, Andrea Gogos
Locomotor hyperactivity triggered by psychotomimetic drugs like amphetamine and phencyclidine is often linked to dopamine and NMDA receptors, but their pharmacological profiles are more complex. In 32 rats, pre-treatment with haloperidol (dopamine antagonist) or prazosin (noradrenaline antagonist) reduced amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, while ritanserin (serotonin antagonist) had only a partial effect. None of these pre-treatments significantly altered phencyclidine-induced hyperactivity. The findings indicate that both noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems are critical for amphetamine's effects, whereas phencyclidine's hyperlocomotion likely depends on NMDA receptor antagonism. This helps interpret drug-induced hyperactivity as a model of psychosis.