The role of nigral and thalamic output pathways in the expression of oral stereotypies induced by amphetamine injections into the striatum

Abstract

Microinjections of amphetamine into the ventrolateral striatum (VLS) elicit a striking behavioral syndrome characterized by compulsive oral and forelimb motor stereotypies. The neural pathways that mediate these behavioral responses downstream from the striatum have not yet been identified. In a series of experiments, we investigated the involvement of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and the ventromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VMT) in the mediation of this behavioral syndrome. We demonstrated that lidocaine-induced reversible inactivation of the SNr reduced amphetamine-induced stereotyped biting and gnawing behaviors, suggesting that the nigral output pathway plays a significant role in the expression of these behavioral responses. In turn, injections of lidocaine into the VMT only transiently reduced amphetamine-stimulated biting and increased stereotyped gnawing and paw nibbling, suggesting that the expression of oral stereotypies induced by amphetamine injections into the VLS is not dependent on thalamocortical feedback.