Effects of d-amphetamine on striatal unit activity and behavior in freely moving cats

The effects of various doses of d-amphetamine on behavior and striatal unit activity were studied in freely moving cats. Contrary to previous studies, conducted in anesthetized and/or immobilized animals, reporting, that striatal neurons were slow firing or silent, these neurons often displayed a high rate of discharge in the awake freely moving animal. Also contrary to much of the previous literature in immobolized animals, high doses of amphetamine (5.0 mg/kg i.p.) produced exclusively excitatory effects on striatal neurons, while lower doses (0.5 and 2.0 mg/kg) had both excitatory and inhibitory effects. In general, the behavioral stereotypy and hyperactivity tended to far outlast both types of neuronal changes.