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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Operant Procedures for Assessing Behavioral Flexibility in Rats
Published on: February 15, 2015
Deficient prepulse inhibition induced by selective breeding of rats can be restored by the dopamine D2 antagonist
Martin Hadamitzky1, Silke Harich, Michael Koch
1Brain Research Institute, Department of Neuropharmacology, University of Bremen, PO Box 33 04 40, 28334 Bremen, Germany. hadamitz@uni-bremen.de
Abstract:
Deficient sensorimotor gating, measured as prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle, reflects disturbed information processing found in neuropsychiatric disorders. Examining the ability to selectively breed rats for high and low PPI, results showed significant differences of PPI scores within two generations. Comparing antipsychotics to restore PPI of the low group, haloperidol was shown more effective than clozapine. This suggests low PPI rats may be useful models for neuropsychiatric disorders and screening antipsychotics.
