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D-amphetamine facilitation of morris water task performance is blocked by eticlopride and correlated with increased dopamine synthesis in the prefrontal cortex.

Author
Abstract
:

The effect of posttraining D-amphetamine on Morris water task (MWT) performance was analyzed in this study by training rats using a single training trial per day procedure. In addition to acquisition latency, learning was assessed by a probe trial given 24 h after the last training trial. Rats given immediate post-trial D-amphetamine demonstrated improved performance over saline rats on both acquisition and the probe trial. An analysis of the mechanisms underlying facilitation revealed that eticlopride (a D2 antagonist) blocked D-amphetamine's facilitatory effects on the probe trial and dopamine synthesis was increased in the medial prefrontal cortex in the D-amphetamine group relative to controls. These results show that chronic administration of posttraining D-amphetamine facilitated MWT performance, and this facilitation may be mediated by the dopaminergic system and dopamine synthesis in the prefrontal cortex.

Year of Publication
:
2000
Journal
:
Behavioural brain research
Volume
:
114
Issue
:
1-2
Number of Pages
:
135-43
ISSN Number
:
0166-4328
URL
:
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0166432800002254
DOI
:
10.1016/s0166-4328(00)00225-4
Short Title
:
Behav Brain Res
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