Rule shift under long-term PCP challenge in rats.

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Deschênes, Annie; Sonia Goulet; Doré, François Y

Source:

Behav Brain Res, Volume 167, Issue 1, p.134-40 (2006)

Keywords:

Analysis of Variance, Animals, Attention, Behavior, Animal, Discrimination Learning, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Drug Administration Schedule, Hallucinogens, Male, Maze Learning, Phencyclidine, Random Allocation, Rats, Rats, Long-Evans, Recognition (Psychology), Spatial Behavior

Abstract:

<p>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.</p>