The importance of extrapyramidal function for the induction and antagonism of harmine tremor

The brain lesion technique was used to investigate the role of the paleostriatum and the nigro-neostriatum in harmine-induced tremor and in its antagonism by dopaminergic agonists, apomorphine, 1-dopa, piribedil, d- and l-amphetamine. Bilateral lesions of the caudate--putamen or substantia nigra failed to modify the intensity of tremor or its antagonism by dopaminergic agonists. Bilateral lesions of the globus pallidus markedly reduced the intensity of tremor and the results indicated that such lesions were also able to reduce the effectiveness of dopaminergic agonists as tremor antagonists. The data suggest that the integrity of the paleostriatum is more important than that of the neostriatum for the mediation of harmine tremor and its antagonism by dopaminergic agonists. The results are discussed in relation to the proposed clinical relationship between paleostriatal dopamine dysfunction and tremor mechanisms.