Search results for "motor effects"

Prepulse Inhibition of the Startle Reflex as a Predictor of Vulnerability to Develop Locomotor Sensitization to Cocaine

2020

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex is a measure of sensory-motor synchronization. A deficit in PPI has been observed in psychiatric patients, especially those with schizophrenia and vulnerable subjects, since the neural bases of this disorder are also involved in the regulation of PPI. Recently, we have reported that baseline PPI levels in mice can predict their sensitivity to the conditioned reinforcing effects of cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Mice with a low PPI presented a lower sensitivity to the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine; however, once they acquired conditioned preference with a higher dose of the drug, a more persistent associa…