Increased Lever Pressing for Amphetamine After Pimozide in Rats: Implications for a Dopamine Theory of Reward

A role in central mediation of reward perception is suggested for dopamine but not for noradrenaline, after low and high doses of a dopamine blocking agent had effects on lever pressing for intravenous amphetamine reward which resembled the effects of reward reduction and reward termination.

Abstract

Low and high doses of a dopamine blocking agent had effects on lever pressing for intravenous amphetamine reward which resembled the effects of reward reduction and reward termination, respectively. Noradrenaline blockade had no such effects. A role in central mediation of reward perception is suggested for dopamine but not for noradrenaline.