Differential roles for cortical versus sub-cortical noradrenaline and modulation of impulsivity in the rat.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Atomoxetine is a noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor licensed for the treatment of adult and childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although atomoxetine has established efficacy, the mechanisms which mediate its effects are not well understood.

Objectives

In this study, we investigated the role of cortical versus sub-cortical noradrenaline by using focal dopamine beta hydroxylase-saporin-induced lesions, to the prefrontal cortex (n = 16) or nucleus accumbens shell (n = 18).

Methods

Healthy animals were tested by using the forced-choice serial reaction time task to assess the impact of the lesion on baseline performance and the response to atomoxetine and the psychostimulant amphetamine.

Results

We observed attenuation in the efficacy of ato

SUBMITTER: Benn A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5203835 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature