Postsynaptic supersensitivity and kindling: further evidence of similarities

Fourteen Sprague-Dawley rats of 150 to 200 g of initial weight were given either d-amphetamine or cocaine intermittently following both a drug-abuse model previously described by the author and an intermittent model for pharmacological "kindling." The psychotogenic effects of the drugs were measured as stereotyped behavior utilizing standardized scales. A retest with the same drug and same protocol as the pretest stage was executed after an off-drug period of 12 weeks, demonstrating dopamine receptors hypersensitivity as measured by stereotyped behavior for both d-amphetamine and cocaine. The importance of demonstrating dopamine receptor hypersensitivity with an intermittent (kindling) drug-abuse-type model is discussed.