Individual and Combined Effects of Physical Exercise and Methylphenidate on Orienting Behavior and Social Interaction in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Overview

Journal Behav Neurosci

Publisher American Psychological Association

Specialty Psychology

Date 2014 Aug 25

PMID 25150541

Citations 5

Authors

Andrea M Robinson

David J Bucci

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study determined the duration of exercise and amount of methylphenidate that is needed to affect attentional function and social behavior in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a commonly used animal model of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Attention was assessed by measuring the orienting response to repeated presentations of a nonreinforced visual cue. Social behavior was examined by allowing rats to freely explore a large arena containing an unfamiliar conspecific rat. Consistent with their hyper-responsive phenotype, nonexercising SHRs exhibited a high level of orienting behavior and little habituation, as well as hyper-social behavior compared with normo-active rats. Exercise or methylphenidate decreased orienting behavior and social behavior in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, we found an additive effect of combining doses of exercise and methylphenidate that alone were ineffective in altering behavior. These data indicate that physical exercise and methylphenidate can reduce hyper-responsiveness to irrelevant stimuli and reduce hyper-social behavior in SHR. Moreover, subthreshold doses of methylphenidate can be used in combination with moderate amounts of exercise to reduce distractibility, supporting the notion that exercise may be useful as an adjunctive or replacement therapy in ADHD.

Citing Articles

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Sex Differences in the Physiological and Behavioral Effects of Chronic Oral Methylphenidate Treatment in Rats.

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Physical exercise affects attentional orienting behavior through noradrenergic mechanisms.

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Effect of exercise on hyperactivity, impulsivity and dopamine D2 receptor expression in the substantia nigra and striatum of spontaneous hypertensive rats.

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