THE NOVEL NEUROPEPTIDE ORPHANIN FQ FAILS TO PRODUCE CONDITIONED PLACEPREFERENCE OR AVERSION

An unbiased conditioned place preference procedure was used to determi ne whether the newly-identified neuropeptide orphanin FQ produced moti vational effects after intracerebroventricular microinjections. Microi njections of orphanin FQ (0.1-100 nmol) failed to produce conditioned place preference or aversion, but a pronounced motor impairment was ob served during conditioning sessions with the two highest doses. Thus, it appears that orphanin FQ lacks motivational effects when administer ed at behaviourally active doses.