Effect of minor tranquillisers on hippocampal θ rhythm mimicked by depletion of forebrain noradrenaline

ABSTRACT THERE are similarities between the behavioural effects of minor tranquillising drugs and those of lesions to the septal area and hippocampus1. Since the septal area contains the

pacemaker cells for the hippocampal theta rhythm2, a parsimonious hypothesis to account for these common effects is that tranquillisers affect behaviour by altering septal control of this

rhythm. Sodium amylobarbitone (SA) has been shown to block the behavioural effects of frustrative non-reward1, as do septal3 and hippocampal4 lesions. Rats exposed to non-reward in the

runway show a characteristic hippocampal θ response at 7.7 Hz (ref. 1) (the θ frequency range in the rat is about 6–12 Hz). Higher and lower frequencies occur during forms of behaviour which

are unaffected by the drug. It has therefore been proposed1 that the behavioural effects of SA arise by virtue of an impairment of septal control of the hippocampal θ rhythm specifically in

a frequency band centred on 7.7 Hz. In support of this, it has been demonstrated5 that this drug raises the threshold for septal driving of the hippocampal θ rhythm selectively at 7.7 Hz,

frequencies both above and below this value being minimally affected. Here we show that this kind of frequency-specific effect on septal driving of the hippocampal θ rhythm is also produced

by other drugs with similar effects on behaviour1 (ethanol, chlordiazepoxide and Δ9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (Δ9-THC)), by drugs which impair noradrenergic neural transmission, and by

destruction of the dorsal ascending noradrenergic bundle by intracerebral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)6. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of

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University of Oxford, Oxford J. A. GRAY & N. MCNAUGHTON * Department of Psychology, New University of Ulster, Northern Ireland D. T. D. JAMES * Department of Psychology, University of

Cambridge, Cambridge, UK P. H. KELLY Authors * J. A. GRAY View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * N. MCNAUGHTON View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * D. T. D. JAMES View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * P. H. KELLY View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE GRAY, J., MCNAUGHTON, N., JAMES,

D. _et al._ Effect of minor tranquillisers on hippocampal θ rhythm mimicked by depletion of forebrain noradrenaline. _Nature_ 258, 424–425 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/258424a0 Download

citation * Received: 11 June 1975 * Accepted: 28 October 1975 * Issue Date: 04 December 1975 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/258424a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link

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