| Abstract: | Bilateral electrolytic lesions of the lateral hypothalamus or intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine injections produced substantial depletions of striatal dopamine in 14 male albino rats. All Ss with brain damage showed marked sensorimotor impairments compared to 21 controls; however, they began to move and respond appropriately to environmental stimuli when placed in a sink of water, in a shallow ice bath, or among a colony of cats or rats. A reversal of the sensorimotor dysfunctions was still apparent shortly after Ss were removed from each activating situation; however, the therapeutic effects dissipated rapidly, and by 4 hrs after an exposure Ss responded as poorly as they had prior to activation. Findings are strikingly similar to the "paradoxical kinesia" seen in parkinsonism, a clinical disorder attributed to degeneration of central dopamine-containing neurons. Collectively, they suggest the importance of activation in maintaining responsiveness to sensory stimuli in rats following dopamine-depleting brain lesions. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
