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Oral stereotypy induced by amphetamine microinjection into striatum: an anatomical mapping study
P R Dickson1, C G Lang, S C Hinton
1Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115.
Neuroscience
|July 1, 1994
Summary
The ventrolateral striatum precisely controls psychostimulant-induced orofacial stereotypies in rats. This brain region is crucial for oral motor functions and may offer insights into treating orofacial dyskinesias.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Neuropharmacology
Background:
- The ventrolateral striatum's role in psychostimulant-induced behaviors is recognized.
- Understanding specific striatal subregions is key to deciphering motor control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To pinpoint the precise neuroanatomical location within the striatum responsible for psychostimulant-induced orofacial stereotypies.
- To investigate the ventrolateral striatum's potential role in normal oral motor function.
Main Methods:
- Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received targeted bilateral or unilateral amphetamine injections into various striatal subareas.
- Behavioral responses, including orofacial stereotypies, locomotion, and rearing, were systematically observed and scored.
Main Results:
- Amphetamine injections into the middle ventrolateral striatum induced intense orofacial stereotypies (bar biting, self-biting, paw-to-mouth movements).
- Injections in adjacent areas or further from the effective site produced less orofacial stereotypy and sometimes increased locomotion/rearing.
- Bilateral injections yielded twice the stereotypy intensity compared to unilateral injections.
Conclusions:
- The ventrolateral striatum is a discrete region critical for psychostimulant-induced orofacial stereotypies.
- This area likely controls normal oral motor behaviors, suggesting its relevance for understanding and treating orofacial dyskinesias.