Le. Rueter et Bl. Jacobs, CHANGES IN FOREBRAIN SEROTONIN AT THE LIGHT-DARK TRANSITION - CORRELATION WITH BEHAVIOR, NeuroReport, 7(5), 1996, pp. 1107-1111
IN vivo microdialysis in the rat was used to determine whether changes
in forebrain serotonin (5-HT) levels seen during the light-dark trans
ition differ by area examined and whether these changes could be accou
nted for by complementary changes in behaviour. 5-HT levels increased
significantly during the first half hour of dark phase in the hippocam
pus (45.9%), striatum (13.4%), amygdala (19.7%) and prefrontal cortex
(18.4%), the increase in the hippocampus being significantly larger th
an those in the other areas. 5-HT levels co-varied significantly with
changes in the levels of alert waking, a behavioural measure of the ti
me spent in active waking, suggesting that this factor might account f
or the changes in 5-HT across the light-dark transition.