Specific distribution of metabolic alterations in cerebral cortex following apomorphine administration

Abstract

The topographic distribution of dopaminergic receptors in the cerebral cortex closely parallels that of the dopaminergic innervation^1–6. In the rat, dopaminergic axons which originate in the mesencephalon are confined to a few discrete regions of the neocortex—anterior cingulate cortex, entorhinal cortex, frontal cortex (particularly anteromedial and supragenual areas) and the transitional zone between the neocortex and the pyriform cortex^1–4. Moreover, biochemical examinations of processes generally considered to be indicative of dopaminergic neurotransmission—neuronal uptake of labelled dopamine or dopamine-activation of adenylate cyclase activity^5,6—have confirmed a highly restricted locus of action of dopaminergic systems in the cerebral cortex. We describe here data obtained using the 2-deoxyglucose technique⁷ in conjunction with conventional neuropharmacological techniques, suggesting that the influence of dopaminergic systems on cortical function extends beyond the known confines of the mesocortical dopaminergic system.