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Updated: Jun 29, 2025
Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents
Published on: September 1, 2011
Effects of acute and chronic methylphenidate on prepulse inhibition: A sex difference study in Wistar rats
F Montiel-Herrera1, A Batanero-Geraldo1, J C López1
1Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
Background:
The utilization of methylphenidate (MPH) is experiencing a notable surge within the adult population. This growth can be attributed to two key factors: its recreational and cognitive enhancement purposes, as well as the rising prevalence of ADHD diagnoses within this population. This study examined acute and chronic oral MPH effects on attention in male and female Wistar rats. To this end, we used a prepulse inhibition (PPI) task, which is widely used to assess psychoactive drug effects in both humans and rodents. This task allowed us to evaluate changes in attention by analyzing sensorimotor gating associated with stimulus selection process.
Methods:
Animals were administered a clinically relevant dose of MPH (5 mg/kg) daily for seven days. The estrous cycle phases of the female rats were measured during behavioral sessions. The PPI task was conducted 20 min after drug administration on day 1 (acute), day 7 (chronic), and 48 h post-treatment.
Results:
Results indicated that both acute and chronic MPH treatment impaired PPI expression in male rats, but not in female rats, regardless of their estrous cycle phase. Furthermore, a differential effect of chronic MPH treatment on the PPI task was found in male rats. Specifically, on the seventh treatment day, the PPI effect was observed when animals undertook the PPI task for the first time but was impaired in those animals in which the initial PPI session occurred under the acute influence of the drug (day 1).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that the impact of MPH on sensorimotor gating responses may vary based on sex and task experience, possibly leading to state-dependent effects in healthy individuals.
