Quinpirole induces compulsive checking behavior in rats: A potential animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Rats treated chronically with the dopamine agonist quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg, t wice weekly X 10) met 5 criteria for performance of compulsive checking. Sp ecifically, in a large open-field with single small objects in 4 of 25 loca les, quinpirole rats revisited two places/objects excessively often and rap idly, compared with other locations in the environment or saline controls. They performed a ritual-like set of behavioral acts at these two places/obj ects and stopped in relatively few locales before returning to the preferre d places/objects. Finally, they shifted their behavior to a new location wh en the object was moved there. Clomipramine (10 mg/kg, daily) postponed but did not prevent the development of the quinpirole effect. Quinpirole-induc ed compulsive checking may be an exaggeration of normal checking of home si te in rats. Results suggest an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorde r and a role for dopamine in this disorder.