MUNCHAUSEN SYNDROME BY PROXY: REPORT OF A CASE

Abstract

Abstracf--Trontal cortical dopamine (DA) systems may play an inhibitory role inmotor behavior, possibly mediated through the nucleus accumbcns (NAc). Bilateral lesions ofDA terminals in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and bilateral electrolytic lesions in NAc both induce hyperactivity in rats. However, unilateral NAc lesions elicit hyperactivity only from the right hemisphere. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether unilateral lesions of catcchclamin (CA) terminals in MPFC elicit an asymmetrical increase in locomotor activity, and whether this effect is dependent on norepinephrine (NE) or DA terminals. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were housed in runningwheel cages for 21 days before and 30 days after receiving intracortical infections of the CA neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopaminc
(6-0HDA), either with or without pre-treatment with desmcthylimipramine (DMI), a noradrcncrgic uptake blocker (n-? and 5 pair, respectively). Rats were paired according to baseline activity and alternate members of each pair lcsioncd in either the len or right MPFC. Lcsicncd animals not pretreated with OMI were significantly more active than pretreated rats, indicating that NE terminals were relatively more