Changes in conditioned performance and general behavior produced by imipramine treatment in dogs.

Dogs with electrolytic damage of dorsomedial amygdala and lateral hypothalamus manifested the syndrome of depression. They were used as models for studying the effects of a tricyclic antidepressant. Imipramine treatment produced increase in general arousal, motility and reactivity as tested by various tests, changes in social behavior and only slight improvement of instrumental conditioned performance. In normal dogs the imipramine administration in most subjects resulted in either no effect or deterioration of various learned tasks. Strong individual differences in the reactivity to drug treatment were observed in both normal and lesioned (depressed) dogs.