Behavioral withdrawal following several psychoactive drugs.

The chronic administration of several psychoactive drugs has been suggested to produce behavioral withdrawal syndromes in the absence of physical withdrawal. The present study employed four representative psychoactive drugs, amphetamine, chlorpromazine, iproniazid, and desipramine, in a common behavioral paradigm using electrical stimulation of the brain to test for behavioral withdrawal. Behavior differing from both predrug and drug produced behavior occurred following the termination of amphetamine, iproniazid and chlorpromazine administration. The first two drugs produced an increase in self stimulation during administration, followed by a very significant decrease after the drugs were discontinued. Chlorpromazine administration on the other hand, produced a decrease in self stimulation rates, followed by a rebound increase after termination of treatment. No systematic effects were observed with desipramine. The relationship between the behavioral effects of these drugs during and following treatment and possible homeostatic mechanism influencing response tendencies is discussed.