Tonic immobility in domestic fowl: anticataleptic effects of quipazine

Quipazine, a putative serotonergic agonist, produced marked decreases in tonic immobility (TI) duration in doses of 5--25 mg/kg. Quipazine-treated animals required more elicitation attempts before displaying TI. Quipazine also blocked the haloperidol enhancement of tonic immobility. In a third experiment, quipazine produced stereotyped responses in chickens which yielded increases in activity on a stabilimeter platform. The results are discussed in terms of catalepsy and serotonerigic and dopaminergic mechanisms.