Effects on Motor Activity

Similar to alcohol and other CNS depressants, toluene has a biphasic dose-effect curve for the motor activity of rodents (Hinman 1987 Riegel and 

Tolerance is characterized by reduced responsiveness to the initial effects of a drug after repeated exposure or reduced responsiveness to a related compound (i.e., cross-tolerance). Animal studies have not provided conclusive evidence of tolerance to the effects of the centrally active compounds in toluene or trichloroethane (Moser and Balster 1981 Moser et al. 1985). Observations in humans, on the other hand, have documented pronounced tolerance among subjects who chronically inhale substances with high concentrations of toluene (Glaser and Massengale 1962 Press and Done 1967) and butane (Evans and Raistrick 1987). Kono et al. (2001) showed that tolerance to the reinforcing effects of solvents is comparable to that conditioned by nicotine but less intense than that reported with alcohol or methamphetamine use. 

No systematic studies of tolerance to the reinforcing effects of inhaled nitrites have been reported. However, anecdotal observations in workers with high exposure to nitrites have suggested that tolerance to the subjective effects of this compound occurs after a few days of exposure (Marsh and Marsh 

On the other hand, clinical and laboratory studies in humans have demonstrated the development of tolerance to the amnestic and analgesic effects of nitrous oxide and isoflurane (see Arnold et al. 1993 Avramov et al. 1990 Rupreht et al. 1985 Whitwam et al. 1976) and, in the case of ether or chloroform, to its reinforcing effects (Krenz et al. 2003). No studies have shown the development of tolerance to the reinforcing effects of nitrous oxide. 

Research in rodents has provided evidence of solvent withdrawal. Continuous exposure to toluene for 4 days and subsequent cessation produced an increase in handling-induced convulsions for at least 2 hours after cessation (Wiley et al. 2003). A similar pattern of trichloroethane administration to rodents produced pronounced withdrawal, which was worsened by the administration of the proconvulsant drug pentylenetetrazole and attenuated by reexposure to 2,000 ppm of toluene or the administration of alcohol, pentobarbital, or midazolam (Evans and Balster 1993). 

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Miczek, K.A. Differential antagonism of (f-amphetamine effects on motor activity and agonistic behavior in mice. Soc Neurosci Abstr 7 343, 1981a. 

Scopolamine is used for practically the same indications as atropine, but it should be noted that it has a sedative effect on motor activity, and it is recommended for the treatment of Parkinsonian symptoms. Synonyms of this drug are joscyn, oscine, and others. 

Diaz-Mayans J, Laborda R, Nunez A. 1986. Hexavalent chromium effects on motor activity and some metabolic aspects of Wistar albino rats. Comp Biochem Physiol 83C(1) 191-195. 

The decalin amphetamine analogs (skeleton 1 in Table V) were tested for their effect on motor activity (86), since amphetamine itself is known to increase motor activity. Paradoxically, all four compounds decreased motor activity. In addition, the extended conformer caused lachrymation. Later studies (87,88,89) on... 

Morishima-Kawashima M, Iharra Y (2002) Alzheimer s disease (3-amyloid protein and tau. J Neurosci Res 70 392-401 Moruzzi G, Magoun HW (1949) Brain stem reticular formation and activation of the EEG. Electroenceph Clin Neurophysiol 1 455-473 Moss FA (1924) Study of animal drives. J Exp Psychol 7 165-185 Myttyla VV, Sotaniemi KA, Vourinen JA, Heinonen EH (1992) Selegiline as initial treatment in de novo parkinsonian patiens. Neurology 42 339-343 Nakajima T, Kakimoto Y, Sano I (1964) Formation of (3-phenylethylamine in mammalian tissue and its effect on motor activity. J Pharm 143 319-325 Neve RL, Robakis NK (1998) Alzheimer s disease a re-examination of the amyloid hypothesis. Trends in Neurosci 21 15-19... 

Briggs You showed that amphetamine was least effective on motor activity when the NA levels in the brains of the rats were highest how do you interpret this in relation to the evidence that amphetamine acts by releasing NA ... 

Analogues of chlorpromazine in which the amino moiety is rendered less flexible by incorporation as part of a piperidine ring system, have been examined in motor activity tests and also in the guinea-pig anaphylactic arthritis test. There is a retention of depressor effects on motor activity as shown by chlorpromazine but, in addition, some of the compounds also exhibit anti-inflammatory activity . 

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