Rule shift under long-term PCP challenge in rats

Behav Brain Res. 2006 Feb 15;167(1):134-40. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2005.08.013. Epub 2005 Sep 29.

Abstract

Performance of Long-Evans rats repeatedly treated with a high dose of phencyclidine (PCP) was compared with that of controls on two tasks involving rule shifts. Fifteen hours after receiving 12 daily doses of PCP (10mg/kg) or saline, rats were tested in the first task where a fixed or variable goal had to be recognized among four maze-arm locations. After receiving the last of 33 injections, rats were subjected to a second task: they had to discriminate the relevant perceptual dimension in a pair of stimuli and choose the appropriate stimulus in each problem. Results from both tasks revealed no difference between controls and rats injected with PCP either during acquisition using a constant rule or during testing with rule shifts. Consequently, PCP appears to lack consistency in disturbing frontal cognitive functions in animal models of schizophrenia.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Attention / drug effects*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Discrimination Learning / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Hallucinogens / administration & dosage*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Phencyclidine / administration & dosage*
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Long-Evans
  • Recognition, Psychology / drug effects*
  • Spatial Behavior / drug effects

Substances

  • Hallucinogens
  • Phencyclidine