Abstract

Withdrawal of benzodiazepines after long term treatment may induce hallucinatory symptoms and can evoke delusional depressions. Mesolimbic dopaminergic activity may be specifically involved in the development of benzodiazepine withdrawal. Acute administration of benzodiazepines did hardly affect the dopamine turnover in the nucleus accumbens. Therefore, the dopamine turnover has to be activated to study the effects of benzodiazepines. We have used haloperidol to activate the dopamine system. Activation of the dopamine turnover after administration of haloperidol can be suppressed by benzodiazepines effectively. The results point to a selective effect on benzodiazepines in the nuclus accumbens.