FUNCTIONAL CORRELATES OF REPEATED ADMINISTRATION OF COCAINE AND APOMORPHINE IN THE RAT

The [C-14]2-deoxyglucose method was applied to measure the effects of repeated (8 consecutive days) administration of apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg /day s.c.) or cocaine (15 mg/kg/day i.p.) on cerebral glucose utilizat ion in freely moving rats. Altered rates of glucose utilization were m easured in extrapyramidal motor areas, such as the globus pallidus, en topeduncular nucleus, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra and latera l habenula of both cocaine- and apomorphine-treated rats. Furthermore, cocaine-treated animals displayed increased glucose metabolism in the mesolimbic dopaminergic projections, such as nucleus accumbens and ol factory tubercle, and in the hippocampus. These results suggest that a ltered functional activity within the dopaminergic mesolimbic system m ay play a role in the process of sensitization to psychomotor stimulan t drugs.