The effect of lesions of raphe nuclei on the cataleptic action of neuroleptics.

The effect of electrolytic lesions of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and median raphe nucleus (MRN), produced with two methods, was tested on catalepsy produced by spiperone, pimozide and haloperidol. Using two methods of evaluating catalepsy (acc. to Delini-Stula and Morpurgo and to Costall et al.) it has been found that both kinds of MRN lesions increase the catalepsy produced by neuroleptics, with the exception of the action of haloperidol as assayed with the Delini-Stula and Morpurgo method, and pimozide as assayed with the method of Costall et al. A lesion of DRN either slightly antagonized or did not influence the cataleptogenic action of neuroleptics.