Specific effect of haloperidol on dopamine turnover in the frontal cortex.

A single injection of haloperidol (0.08 mg/kg) produced marked increases in HVA in rabbit brain. Of the dopamine-containing areas studied, the elevation of HVA was significantly greater in the frontal cortex than in the striatum, the tuberculum olfactorium or the parietal cortex. After chronic treatment, a tolerance phenomenon to the effects of haloperidol on HVA was observed only in the striatal and limbic areas. The present results suggest that the frontal cortex may be a preferential target for the antipsychotic activity of neuroleptic agents.