Dan Med Bull
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Review Comparative Study
The brain dopaminergic system. Pharmacological, behavioural and electrophysiological studies.
The kindling phenomenon is a good example of the effect of multiplicity on response increment processes in the nervous system. The electrical potentiation resembles pharmacological sensitization. An intermittent regimen is essential for a progressive augmentation of the behavioural response in both conditions. ⋯ Intermittent electrical activation of the cells in the VTA resulted in a syndrome characterized by a hypersensitive response to electrical or pharmacological dopaminergic provocation combined with abnormal social interactions. This new animal model may have implications for the understanding of the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Hypotheses are proposed for the meaning of dopaminergic sensitization both in the development of persisting dyskinetic side-effects related to neuroleptic treatment and in the development of schizophrenia.