Desmethylimipramine promotes recovery of self-stimulation from the prefrontal cortex following footshock.

Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) was assessed from the prefrontal cortex in CD-1 mice immediately (0 h), 24 h and 168 h following exposure to uncontrollable footshock. Marked reductions in ICSS rates were observed in all mice immediately following the stressor. Although the ICSS alterations were transient in some animals, ICSS rates were reduced in the majority of animals 24-h and 168-h poststressor. Mice of either the shock or no shock treatment groups were administered either saline or desmethylimipramine (DMI, 5 mg/kg x 2) for 20 consecutive days. Chronic DMI ameliorated the stressor-induced ICSS deficits from the prefrontal cortex. Potential explanations for the stressor-provoked variations in ICSS and the effects of DMI are discussed.