The effect of amphetamine on locomotion depends on the motor device utilized. The open field vs. the running wheel

The effect of amphetamine on the level of locomotion exhibited on two different motor devices was examined in the Golden hamster. Increasing concentrations of the psychostimulant from 4 to 10 mg/kg significantly enhanced locomotor activity in hamsters exposed to an open field. A further increase to 25 mg/kg inhibited ambulatory activity to levels below the control baseline, while augmenting the occurrence of stereotypic behaviors. The activating effect of amphetamine on ambulatory activity was observed regardless of the time of testing (day or night) or lighting condition, with no apparent modulation by the circadian system. On the other hand, home-cage wheel-running activity was maximally inhibited by 10 mg/kg amphetamine, whereas a smaller dosage (1.5 mg/kg) had no effect over the wheel-running activity baseline of saline controls. Although both the running wheel and the open field quantify locomotion, the dissociation obtained shows that they measure different components of it. The results are interpreted within Lyon and Randrup's hypothesis on the actions of amphetamine (16).