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Effects of Substantia Nigra Lesions on the Locomotor and Stereotypy Responses to Amphetamine

Nature New Biology volume 230, pages 30–32 (1971)Cite this article

Abstract

IT is usually supposed that amphetamine produces behavioural effects which include an increase of spontaneous motor activity and the elicitation of stereotyped behaviours1, by causing a release of endogenous catecholamines in the central nervous system2. This view is, for example, supported by the observation that amphetamine can release the catecholamines noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) from the central nervous system in vitro2 and in vivo3, 4, and that inhibition of catecholamine biosynthesis blocks the amphetamine effect5. Anatomical studies of the distribution of neurones containing catecholamine however, raise, questions about the general applicability of this hypothesis6.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge,

    B. A. SIMPSON & SUSAN D. IVERSEN

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  1. B. A. SIMPSON
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  2. SUSAN D. IVERSEN
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SIMPSON, B., IVERSEN, S. Effects of Substantia Nigra Lesions on the Locomotor and Stereotypy Responses to Amphetamine. Nature New Biology 230, 30–32 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio230030a0

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