Haloperidol and clozapine increase neural activity in the rat prefrontal cortex

Haloperidol and clozapine have been widely used to alleviate schizophrenic symptoms, but their physiological effects in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) ar e not known. Effects of haloperidol and clozapine on single unit activity w ere investigated in the medial PFC of anesthetized rats. Injection (intrape ritoneal) of haloperidol (1 mg/kg) or clozapine (20 mg/kg) significantly el evated discharge rates of PFC neurons. Considering that hypofrontality is o ne characteristic of schizophrenic symptoms, these results raise the possib ility that enhancement of PFC neural activity contributes to therapeutic ef fects of haloperidol and clozapine. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.