Dopaminergic involvement in activational aspects of motivation: Effects of haloperidol on schedule-induced activity, feeding, and foraging in rats

Abstract

The dopamine antagonist haloperidol (HP) decreased motor activity that was induced by periodic presentation of food to food-deprived rats, with the higher doses leading to a marked decline in activity across the 30-min test session. However, HP-treated rats continued to consume all the food pellets, and 1 rat that was directly observed continued to remain in proximity to the food dish. HP also disrupted foraging and food intake in a seminaturalistic environment. In addition to decreasing food intake, HP decreased the average duration, and increased the total number, of feeding bouts. These results indicate that although HP disrupted the activational aspects of food-motivated behavior in these tasks, HP-treated subjects continued to direct behavior toward food acquisition and consumption. © 1988, Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.