FURTHER STUDIES ON ANTAGONISM OF STEREOTYPED BEHAVIOUR INDUCED BY AMPHETAMINE

High doses of d-amphetamine cause stereotyped behaviour in rats and an absence of many normal activities such as exploratory motor activity. The antagonism of these two effects of amphetamine was studied by pretreatment with several neuroleptic, adrenolytic and cholinergic drugs. It was found that some neuroleptic drugs antagonized, within a certain dose range, abnormal behaviour with a concomitant increase of exploratory motor activity. The most active drugs in this sense were chlorpromazine and perphenazine. No significant effect was observed with the adrenolytic or cholinergic drugs studied. Some possible implications of the motor reversal by neuroleptic drugs are discussed. © 1969.