OLANZAPINE MODERATELY INCREASES CONFLICT RESPONDING BUT DOES NOT PRODUCE A BENZODIAZEPINE-LIKE CUE IN RAT

In rats pressing a lever for food on a Geller-Seifter conflict schedul e with incremental electrical stimulus, the putative novel antipsychot ic olanzapine (0.78 and 1.56 mg/kg po) increased conflict responding b y 35% (half the maximal increase produced by chlordiazepoxide). In rat s trained to discriminate between chlordiazepoxide and saline, olanzap ine (0.19-1.56 mg/kg po) reduced response rate dose-dependently; all r ats chose the saline-appropriate lever at all doses. The results repli cate the moderate anticonflict effect of olanzapine and show that the subjective cue differs from that of a benzodiazepine. A possible anxio lytic action of this class of antipsychotics is proposed. (C) 1995 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.