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Haloperidol produces within-session increments in operant response duration in rats
1Department of Psychology, University of Mississippi 38677.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|May 1, 1990
Summary
Haloperidol, a neuroleptic drug, caused rats to slow down their responses and increase the duration of each response during operant behavior sessions. These changes suggest drug-induced Parkinsonism in rats, impacting both response rate and duration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Previous studies show haloperidol reduces operant response rates in rats.
- It was hypothesized that other behavioral measures might also change within sessions after haloperidol administration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of haloperidol on response duration as a measure independent of response rate.
- To explore potential neuroleptic-induced Parkinsonism in rats.
Main Methods:
- Six rats were trained on a fixed-ratio 20 schedule.
- Haloperidol was administered at doses of 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, and 0.16 mg/kg.
- Response duration was recorded alongside response rate.
Main Results:
- Significant within-session decreases in response rate were observed.
- Significant within-session increases in response duration were noted.
- A dose of 0.08 mg/kg led to a 300% increase in response duration during the latter part of sessions.
Conclusions:
- Haloperidol induces within-session changes in both response rate and duration in rats.
- The observed motor slowing and increased response duration are consistent with neuroleptic-induced Parkinsonism.
- These findings provide further insight into the behavioral pharmacology of haloperidol.