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Effects of LSD on open field performance in rats

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Summary

LSD has been reported to have variable actions on locomotor and exploratory activity in rats. In the present study LSD in doses ranging from 2 to 500 μg/kg induced varying effects on different components of Open Field behaviour. The “ambulation score” showed a linear increase with increasing log doses while the highest dose caused a steep rise. The “rearing” and “preening scores” exhibited an inverted U type dose-response relationship, the inversion of the curve occuring with doses higher than 8 μg/kg. It is suggested that LSD in normal doses increases all stereotyped activity whereas with higher doses only simple stereotyped activity is increased. Simple horizontal stereotyped activity therefore increases at the cost of vertical stereotype. Thus LSD increases stereotyped activity with increasing dose but while normal doses increase both the horizontal and the vertical type of activity, the higher doses increase only the horizontal type.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur, India

    P. C. Dandiya, B. D. Gupta, M. L. Gupta & S. K. Patni

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  1. P. C. Dandiya
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  2. B. D. Gupta
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  3. M. L. Gupta
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  4. S. K. Patni
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Dandiya, P.C., Gupta, B.D., Gupta, M.L. et al. Effects of LSD on open field performance in rats. Psychopharmacologia 15, 333–340 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401687

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401687

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